Tough Love: The Return
by SpicyPepper-SweetSugar
Summary: What happened to Danielle after she got captured? Read and find out in this sequel of Tough Love: A New Start.- Hope you like it. If you havent read the first story do so otherwise it wont make any sense! Rated T just in case. Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: I'm baaaack! So this is the sequel many have been waiting for! Now you finally find out what happened to Danielle! Trust me this chapter is, well it's different. It has a lot of jumps in time but I hope youll like it. _**

**_School has started again and I guess it's okay. My computer is under repair. I don't know what happened to it but it sort of crashed. Luckily I have all my files saved on memory cards. :D That actually saved all of my stories! I really hope people will like this story too as much as they liked the first one._**

**_To those who havent read Tough Love: A New Start- read that one first oterwise this one won't make any sence._**

**_Now, Enjoy!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle and my other Oc's!_**

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_**Waking up...**_

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around myself. I was in a basement of some sort. The room was dark and we were underground, because I could hear people walking and talking over me. In the middle of the room was a small lamp and that was the only light source here. The room smelled of cigarette smoke and alcohol and it made me sick. I heard a whistle and turned my head in the direction of the sound. In the corner I could see a figure of a man. He stood up and walked closer to me and I immediately recognized him.

" William." I said, my voice husky. " Long time no see." I said and he chuckled.

" Typical Danielle. Always joking her way out of trouble." He said. I looked at his face. He seemed to be older somehow, he had let his hair grow a little longer and had a little beard. He had dark bags under his eyes and his eyes where bloodshot.

" The look of a hobo doesn't suit you much." I said but felt the ropes get tighter on my wrists. I winced in pain as they burned my skin. " Vervain drowned ropes? Couldn't come up with something new?" I chuckled through the pain and he growled at me. " How long have I been unconscious?" I asked him and he smirked at me.

" Two weeks." He said. " I might have given you too much vervain when I captured you." he said and walked towards the door.

" Where are you going? Aren't you going to torture me like last time?" I mocked him and he turned around.

" You just woke up and I have no intention of making this easy for you." He said, his voice low yet dangerous. " We will have plenty of time for our little games later Dani." He said walking out of the room. The quick draft made the light go out and once again I was embraced by the darkness.

_**Day 25**_

The torture had never been worse. He hadn't just changed his look's, he had changed his tactics too. He kept torturing me mentally, telling me how he killed my sister, slowly and painfully just like he would kill me if I didn't do what he wanted me to do.

_**Day 50**_

The door opened and I smirked at William.

" Oh Joy. Your back." I said sarcastically. He growled and walked over to the drawer I recently had noticed. He took out a shot and filled it up with vervain, like he had done so many times before.

" It's time again Dani." He said and walked up to me. I hissed at him as he got closer struggling with the ropes. I almost managed to get out when he put the shot right in my neck. I winced in pain as he chuckled darkly. " You have gotten stronger lately. How is that even possible?" He asked me curiously. " I have been injecting you with vervain for almost two months now and it doesn't seem to be so effective on you. Tell me, what's driving you?" He asked me and I snorted.

" I don't know." I panted. " Maybe I'm getting immune to vervain since you have been injecting me with so much." I joked and he squinted his eyes at me grabbing my face.

" Tell me Dani. What is driving you? Revenge? Anger? _Love?_" I froze for a second when he said it as my mind began to flash pictures of Damon's face. William smiled. " Love?" He asked again and I shook my head.

" The pleasure of laughing at you when I get out of here." I said and spit him in the face. He backed away from me and wiped it.

" You won't be getting out this time. I'm working alone and you have no Angie to protect you." He said and I nodded.

" That's right. You killed her last time I escaped." I said tilting my head to the side and he nodded.

" She helped you escape." He said sharpening his knife. " I didn't want to believe it at first when Katherine said it, but last time I saw her let you free." I nodded.

" Before I left I saw you stake her." I said, feeling the vervain weaken me. " How can a person stab his sister so easily?" I asked and he threw the knife at me, missing my face with an inch. " I see you still haven't learned that trick properly." I said and he just stood up walking up to me and put his hand around my neck.

" I _wanted _to miss!" He hissed. I raised an eyebrow.

" That means that you _still_ want me." I stated and he looked at my lips.

" Of course I want you Dani. You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I want you to be my wife but as long as you are this headstrong I will torture you. You will give in to me sooner or later." He whispered in my ear. " But if you act like this, I _won't _miss next time." He said and then quickly walked out of the room leaving me in darkness again.

_**Day 67**_

William hasn't been here in two days. I think he might be hunting or something. I have noticed that he has these time gaps in his torture time. He disappears for about three days and then comes back. One of these gaps might be my chance to escape this time. I have tried to get out of the ropes and they are getting lose, William probably won't notice anything if I keep struggling like always. I might be getting out of here soon and then, the first thing I want to do is get out of this city and away from William.

_**Day 75**_

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at him again.

" Awake again? I thought you'd be out for at least another hour." William said and walked up to me to examine the scars that where slowly healing. He once again made the mistake of looking at my lips, which made me know that I still had hope of surviving. He wouldn't kill me. Mostly because he still wanted me.

" I'm curious. How did you find me this time?" I asked, still as confident as ever. He put his hand to my cheek and softly stroked it but I had never felt more disgusted in my life.

" It a while you see. I lost track for a while when you where in Los Angeles but then I read about some murders in a small town and did some research. Turns out the town was known of vampire hunting." He chuckled darkly and looked me in the eyes. " Did you meet any of them?" He asked and I shook my head, not wanting to tell him about Damon and Stefan.

" No." I said and his grip tightened.

" Don't lie to me." He snarled.

" I'm not." His eyes flickered down to my lips again. " Why is it you cannot seem to be able to take your eyes off of my lips William? Do you still want me to be your wife? Forever?" I mocked him and he looked up at me again.

" You know that you have no power over me." He mumbled.

" But my body apparently has." He had had enough. He roughly put his lips to mine, tasting my blood and I closed my eyes in disgust. He pulled away satisfied, even if I had not returned the kiss.

" You will be mine Danielle..." He said and walked out of the room once again, leaving me in darkness.

_**Day 90**_

Tomorrow William will leave. I know because I counted the days since he last left. The ropes don't hurt as much. I guess William bought when I fake winced when I was struggling. Tomorrow is going to be the day I escape and William won't even see it coming.

_**Day 91- Escape Day**_

I listened to the door closing and the car starting. Once I was sure I couldn't hear a word in the house I twisted my wrists. I quickly got one hand lose and began to remove to other rope. Then I removed the chain on my one foot. I slowly began to walk up the stairs, to the ground floor of the house. It kind of reminded me of Elena's and I quickly found the bathroom. I cleaned up fast, just wiping away the blood and dirt from my face and any visible skin.

I walked past a bedroom and noticed that the door was slightly ajar. I peaked inside and saw my suitcase there. _That moron must have taken it with him when he kidnapped me! _I realized. I walked in making sure no one was there and quickly changed into a pair of black skinny jeans, a grey hoodie and some black converse. I took my shades and put the hood on when I walked out the door, leaving everything else behind. This seemed a little to easy. I thought just as I walked out the door when suddenly another vampire jumped in front of me hissing.

I recognized the vampire to be someone else from my home town and quickly snapped his neck and then picked up the stake he had been holding and stabbed him n the heart. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed anything when I noticed that this was the was only one other house here except the one I had been held captive in. I dragged the vampire inside and checked his pockets. I found some cash and put them in my pocket and then found some car keys.

" Jackpot." I mumbled satisfied and ran out of the house. I found the car in the garage and drove away from the hell hole, never looking back.

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_**A/N: YAY! She escaped! Well of course she escaped! But I'm sad to tell you that she wont be able to return to Mystic falls imediatly. She knows that William might just go and search there again so she has to miss lead him first. But she would already have done that in the next chapter so she might be getting back next time. Haha. Now it's up to you. Review and tell me what you thought of this chapter if you want the next one!**_

_**Thank you for all people who reviewed on the first story! And thanks for reading!**_

_**Until Next Time!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Okay so first I want to start off by saying thank you to those who reviewed on the "pilot"/first chapter, you guys really made me happy. :D The other thing was more specificly to one of my reviewers, Ana. I know that it should have been harder for Danielle to escape but trust me it'll all make sence later in the story. We will find out something about William and the reason it was so easy to escape. And she did feed by the way, but like I said- it will all be explained later on in the story. **_

_**Now, I didn't want to make you guys wait for too long but I wanted to say that since school started I will be updating the story on weedends. Which specific day I do not know but sometime during the weekend. Hope it's okay.**_

_**Now on with the story! Enjoy!**_

_**Discalimer: I own nothing that has to do with the Vampire Diaries. I just own Danielle and other OC's that might get mentioned.**_

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_**273 Days Later (364 days since leaving Mystic Falls in total)**_

I was sitting in my car listening to the music loudly while driving. I looked at myself in the rear view mirror. I smiled to myself. What if they didn't recognize me? I had changed a little since I left Mystic Falls. No surprise really, considering that it had been almost a year now.

After I had managed to escape I had driven away from the small town and went to Washington as I had planned to do before I got kidnapped. When I got there I stayed at a boarding house for a while. I got a small job in a motel as a receptionist and got some money. As soon as I had enough money I quit the job and left Washington to drive to New york.

Once in New York I found a cheap hair salon and I got a hair cut there. Now my hair went a little under my shoulders instead of going down to my waist like it used to. I also made highlights, trying to prevent William from recognizing me to quickly. He hadn't been able to locate me but I figured it might be better this way.

A fiew days ago I had begun to feel alone and bored. That was when I began to think of Mystic Falls and most importantly, Damon. I had missed everyone terribly and decided that it was safe to go back now. A year is a long time and a lot has changed, and I'm not just talking about my hair. I had begun to train myself. I had met a couple of vampires in New York who were happy to help me. I told them about William and they helped me train to be able to kill him next time I met him. As soon as I learned some new tricks I left.

I was now on the road back to Mystic Falls. I had been driving for four days straight, only stopping every once in a while to feed or just rest a little. I was only a fiew kilometers from my destination and I found myself smiling like a idiot. I was going back to the place where I had felt at home for the first time since I left my own home town. And I was hopefully going to be able to pick up where I left off with Damon, but I wasn't going to be naive. I knew people could change. Just because he might have admitted to liking me right before I left, didn't mean he still did. Who knew? He might have met someone else while I was gone. I felt a knot tie in my stomach and I frowned. What if it was true? What if he had found someone else? How much has changed since my departure? I decided to ignore the questions for now and just focus on the road ahead of me. One step at a time right?

I passed the " Welcome to Mystic Falls" sign and sighed in relief. I had finally made it here, safe. I drove slowly through the town not wanting to miss a single thing. I noticed that there where a lot of people in the town square. _Right! Founder's Day! _I remembered. They were just packing up all the things as I passed some familiar faces. I stopped the car to let some people pass when one of them froze in the middle of the street when he looked at me. He slowly began to smile and waved at to pull down the window. He ran up to it and looked at me.

" It's really you!" He said happily. I smiled at him as he ran his hand through his blond hair.

" Matt!" I said and got out of the car to hug him.

" Danielle! What did you do to your hair?" He asked me excitedly as I flipped it slightly.

" What do you think?" I asked him and he chuckled.

" It look's amazing." He complimented and I smiled.

" Thanks. Where's Caroline?" I asked and he pointed towards the blond girl picking up some flowers from the ground. I couldn't help but chuckle. " What is she doing?" I asked Matt and he shrugged.

" I think she dropped them or something. I better go help her before she kills someone for stepping on them." He said and I nodded laughing.

" Good luck with that." He smiled at me.

" It's good to see you again." He said and I nodded.

" You too." I said and got into the car again continuing to drive. Just when I passed the street a car almost hit me. I flashed back to when I first arrived to Mystic Falls, when Tyler had almost hit me. The guy in the car got out and coincidence or what- it was Tyler! He walked up to my car ready to yell at me when he noticed who I was. I was still wearing my shades so he couldn't be sure.

" Have I met you before?" He said flashing me a charming smile, or well at least he tried to make it look charming. I smiled slightly removing my shades.

" Hello Tyler." I said and his eyes widened.

" Danielle?" He asked and I flashed him a grin. " Is that really you?" He asked me and I nodded and he grinned back at me. " Last time I saw you, you had waist long dark brown hair." He said looking at my new hairstyle. Really? Was that the only thing people would notice about me?

" The last time I saw you, you where drunk and punched Matt straight in the face." I said and he blushed slightly. Ha! I made Tyler Lockwood blush! I bet that's a first!

" Yeah, sorry 'bout that." He said sounding ashamed of himself. I nodded.

" No problem. Long time ago right." I said and checked my watch. " I need to go now."

" Right your boy-" He started but stopped. " I mean the Salvatore's." he said backing away from the car. " I'll see you around." He said and I waved at him as he got into his car and drove off. I smiled to myself and began to drive again.

I passed Elena's house and noticed Alaric's car in the driveway. I should probably stop by later but for now I just want to get home. When I spotted the Salvatore Boarding house I smiled widely. The only problem was that no one was at home. I parked my car and got out of it taking my suitcase with me. Well it wasn't really a problem considering that I had already been invited to the house. I took out my pocket knife and took out a pin from my hair and picked the lock. That was another thing I had learned from the vampires in New York. I smiled as I heard a click and opened the door.

It looked exactly the same as I had left it. The book I had been reading before I left was still on the desk where I had put it down. I smiled trailing my fingers over the cover. _Romeo and Juliet, _it stood in calligraphy. I picked it up placing my suitcase by the door and went to sit down on the couch. I sat down and put my legs up on the couch and began to read.

An hour later I heard a car outside. I ignored it since I was on the last sentence of the book. "_**For never was a story of more woe. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.**_" I closed the book just as someone got into the house. The person looked around and I could feel his or her gaze to drop on me on the couch.

" Who are you?" I smiled recognizing the voice. I stood up and turned around, facing the person.

" Hello Stefan."

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_**A/N: Yay! Stefan! You probably thought I would make her meet Damon right? Well, for that you might have to wait another chappie, hehe... I'm evil... I might find time sometime during the week to update again. If I find time of course, but please review anyway. They make me really happy and I hope you'll like this story as much as you liked the first one!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Okay okay so I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long. This is my favorite story and that is the only reason I'm updating now so that you guys don't have to wait for long. Next update might be on saturday okay? So you don't have to wait for too long! :D**_

_**Thank you all of you who have reviewed so far! I love you guys!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with the Vampire Diaries, if I did we would probably already have seen the first episode of season 2! I just own Danielle and Oc's by the way!**_

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At first Stefan looked confused but then he realized who I was. He smiled widely at me.  
" Danielle?" He asked and I ran up to him and hugged him closely. He hugged me back.

" Oh My God. I can't believe it's really you!" He said laughing as I pulled away from the hug. He took a strand of my hair. " What did you do?" he asked me and I laughed.

" Do you like it?" He nodded.

" I love it!" He said and hugged me again. " I just can't believe your really here." He said and I smiled.

" Well believe it. Because I'm staying." I bit my lip. " If you'll have me." I said and he nodded.  
" Of course!" He said smiling, but then he frowned. " Did you take care of you know what?" He asked me and I tilted my head slightly.

" Kind of." I said. " I'll tell you later when-" I stopped when I heard someone else walk in.

" Stefan I don't want to wait in the car anymore." Elena said and stopped. She took one look at me and smiled running up and hugging me. " Oh My God! Danielle!" She said and I laughed.

" Funny thing you should say 'Oh my God'. Stefan said the exact same thing." I said and she laughed.

" What are you doing here? Where have you been for so long?" She asked me and I shrugged.

" Washington, New York, some other places. I'm back and hopefully to stay." I said and she hugged me again.

" I missed you so much!" She said and I chuckled.

" People seem to like that I'm back. Did something interesting happen while I was gone?" I asked and Elena pulled away biting her lip.

" Sort of." she said and I looked at her.

" What happened?" I asked seriously and she sighed.

" Well it was on Founder's Day, when you left actually. It turned out that Bonnie hadn't disarmed the device and my uncle used it. She was still having a bad time with Damon and Stefan because of her grandmother dying." I looked at Stefan and he nodded.

" What did the device do?" I asked and Elena looked at Stefan for help.

" It sent out some kind of signal that only vampires can hear. It was a terrible high pitched sound and I thought I might lose my mind. They captured the tomb vampires that had apparently been planning revenge on the Founding families and John Gilbert burned them in the old Gilbert house." Stefan told me and I swallowed.

" How did you get away?" I asked quietly.

" Alaric tricked them into thinking that he would take me. He saved my life." I nodded understanding. I sat down on the couch.

" What about Damon?" I asked and Stefan sighed. I had a bad feeling.

" They caught him." He said and I stood up again.

" No. He can't be dead!" I said and Stefan looked at me strangely. I walked up to him. " Tell me he isn't dead." I said my voice dead serious.

" He isn't. I saved him with Bonnie's help." He said looking at me strangely. I let out a breath of relief. " Why did you react like that?" He asked me and I turned to look at him.

" What?" I asked and he pointed to me.

" Why did you react like that when I said they captured Damon?" He asked again and I looked at him strangely. _Hasn't Damon told them?_ I wondered. I decided to play along for a second.

" Well, he's my friend. Even if I hate to admit it, I care about him." I told them and Stefan eyed me suspiciously. " Where is he anyway?" I asked looking around. Elena checked her watch.

" Probably at the Mystic Grill. He has been going there a lot recently." Elena told me. I nodded and picked up my suitcase.

" I think I should probably go and unpack. I think I'll go to the Grill to see Damon too." I said thinking about it. Stefan nodded.

" You do that. Elena and I have some buisness anyway." he said and hugged me again. " It really is good to see you again." He said and I smiled at him as we pulled away from the hug.

" You'll get tired of me after a while you know." I stated and he grinned.

" One thing at a time." He told me and I nodded.

" I'll go unpack now." I said and walked up the stairs to my old room.

I opened the door and walked in. Everything seemed to be the same as I left it. I could still smell Damon's scent. I smiled slightly and began to unpack. I put all my clothes in the drawer and my shoes on a small shelf. That's when I noticed that someone had put up a book shelf in the corner. I walked over to it and noticed some of my favorite books there. I trailed my finger over the covers and smiled. I needed to see Damon right now. I had a strange feeling that he had done this for me. I changed into a pair of light jeans and put on a grey short sleeved shirt. Over that I wore my favorite black, tight hoodie. I put on my black converse and then walked out of the room.

Elena and Stefan where on the couch watching some movie when I walked down to them.

" I'm going to see Damon." I said and they nodded.

" Don't provoke him." Stefan warned and I nodded chuckling.

" Stefan, I'm so glad you have faith in me." I said sarcastically.

" Ha-ha. Yeah Yeah." He said. " Have fun." He told me and I nodded.

" Oh I will." I said walking out to my car and driving towards the Grill.

When I arrived I could barely wait to get to see Damon again. I walked in and noticed that it was filled with people. Probably from after the Founder's day event. I scanned the room and saw many familiar faces, yet no Damon. I looked at the bar and surprise surprise there he was, with his back turned to me. I smiled putting on my shades and walking up to him sitting down next to him.

" What a day." I said and he nodded in agreement drowning his glass. I sniffed and smelled scotch. I ordered a glass of cold water and got comfortable. I glanced at Damon. " So you are one of the Salvatore brothers?" I asked and he nodded.

" How do you know about us?" He asked. " I haven't seen you in town before." he said not even looking at me.

" Oh I've been here before." I said sipping the water. " Damon right?" I asked and he nodded.

" Should I know you?" He asked me and I shrugged.

" Maybe. We have met before." he snickered.

" Did I sleep with you or something?" he asked me and I shook my head.

" No." I said quickly and he drowned his glass again and asked for a refill.

" Then how do I know you?" he asked.

" Well, we kind of lived together before I left." I said and he froze. He turned to look at me for the first time. With my shades on he probably couldn't recognize me.

" Who are you?" He asked me, looking at me from top to toe. I pursed my lips into a tight line to keep from laughing and he lifted his hands to remove my shades. When he removed them, he took one look at my face and I saw a small smirk building in the corner of his lips. " Danielle Brown. Long time no see." He said and I smiled at him as he lifted the glass of scotch emptying it completely, never taking his eyes off of me.

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_**A/N: Okay so I know that (I think it was) Ana, metioned something about me always doing an ending like that. Well I'm sorry but that's just the way I roll ;). I hope you guys aren't mad at me for it but you still don't have to wait for long to see what will happen!**_

_**Oh and a small spoiler is that it wont exactly be a very "cute" reunion, if you know what I mean. You know how people are, they fight, they make up, they fight about the most unnecessary things. Hehe I hope you got it. Sorry if I spoiled it for you, but there wont be a BIG thing.**_

_**Okay so, thank you for reading and please review and tell me if there are some things you would like for me to put in the story. Is there anything special you would like for to happen? Any questions? Just ask or tell me and I'll do my best to answer or write it into the story! :D**_

_**Thank you once again for reading! It's always great to see that I have some supporters and followers out there hehe, have a great day!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Okay so I'm so glad I got some reviews on the last chapter! Thank you to all of you! I love you guys!**_

_**Now let's just get on with the chapter without making you wait, hehe...**_

_**Hope you'll like it!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! I just own my OC's!**_

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We sat in silence and he had turned around and didn't look at me even once after he found out that it was me. I thought it was weird since he had practically begged me to stay with him before I left. Maybe something happened after the whole device thingy. I cleared my throat.

" Well, I heard about what happened on Founder's Day." I said trying to get him to talk to me. He just nodded curtly. " I'm glad you're safe." I tried again and this time he didn't react at all. I felt my blood beginning to boil inside of me. " You know what?" I said and stood up. " I'm going home and until you stop acting like a jerk and talk to me I won't ever say a word to you." I said and walked out of the Grill. I was so freaking angry at him right now. He didn't even say anything to me except that stupid " I-recognized-you-"crap. I wanted to punch someone. I wanted to _kill _someone. I suffered for three freaking months and escaped just to be able to be with him and he doesn't even react to when I'm back? Oh I'll show him.

Somehow I ended up back in the Salvatore Boarding house. I was angry and huffing like crazy when I walked into the house. Stefan raised an eyebrow at me and I just huffed and sat down next to him on the couch.

" Where is Elena?" I asked in need of some girl talk.

" She went home. Had a long day today." He said switching channels on the TV. " Is everything okay?" He asked me concerned.

" No everything is not okay!" I yelled and he jumped slightly. " Sorry." I muttered.

" Is it Damon?" He asked and I nodded. " What did he do now?" He asked me rolling his eyes.

" Nothing." I said and he raised an eyebrow at me.

" Come on, tell me what he did." Stefan pushed and I looked at him.

" No, he actually did _nothing._ When he realized it was me he didn't even react. He just drank his stupid whiskey or scotch or whatever." I said and Stefan looked at me confused.

" Did you expect him to react some other way?" He asked me and I nodded.

" I expected him to be overjoyed and maybe k-" I stopped myself. I had almost said kiss. Stefan waited for me to continue. "-kindly give me a hug or something. I am his _friend _after all." I tried saving myself. Stefan seemed to buy it.

" Okay, well you know Damon. Give him some time. I'm sure he was just acting. He's probably really happy to see you." Stefan told me and I put my head on his shoulder.

" I really hope so." I mumbled and we began to watch some stupid program.

It was quiet in the house when the door suddenly burst open.

" Dani!" Damon's voice rang and startled both me and Stefan. We turned around and he glared at me. " I've thought about what you said." He told me and Stefan looked at us confused.

" Is there something going on here that I should know about?" He asked motioning between the two of us. He noticed the glared Damon and I were giving each other. " I'm leaving." He said and quickly walked off to his room and locked the door after him. Damon's glare turned into a smirk. I continued to glare as he walked closer to me. He stopped right in front of me.

" I'm mad at you." He admitted and I continued to glare.

" Why? I haven't done anything to you." I said and he nodded.

" Yeah right. Dani's a little angel who has never in her life hurt someone. You disappeared!" He yelled in my face and I cringed slightly, but didn't back down.

" You knew why I had to leave!" I yelled back recovering and remembering that I too was mad.

" I didn't expect you to leave for a _freaking _year!" He said and I growled at him.

" You don't know what happened!" I said loudly and he just nodded frantically.

" Oh I know what happened." He began to count on his fingers. " You left. You found some new toy. You probably played around for a week or two and then switched to a new toy and now you're back here because you want your old toy back!" He said and I became angry again.

" Do you really think I was playing you all along?" I yelled and he nodded.

" Yeah I do!" I slapped him as if to wake him up. He glared at me.

" How can you think that?" I asked, my voice low. " You know what I feel about you. Why would I trust you with my secret otherwise?" I asked him and he seemed to be thinking about it too.

" Where did you go then if you didn't find a new guy?" He asked me and I felt like I should slap him again. I didn't want to worry him but he needed to know the truth.

" I was captured Damon." I told him and his eyes widened.

" What?" He asked me and I bit my lip.

" William captured me." I said again and he sighed grabbing his head.

" When?" He asked and I shrugged.

" As soon as I was out of town. He smashed into my car." I told him and he looked at me with regret.

" I'm sorry." He said and I looked at him as he stepped closer to me. " I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore." He said and I shook my head.

" Of course I want to be with you. We never got started and then William had to turn up." I said and he cupped my cheeks. He looked into my eyes. We where just about to lean in when we heard the door from upstairs unlock. We quickly split apart and looked up and saw Stefan walk out.

" You didn't kill him?" Stefan asked me and I shook my head smiling.

" No. But I considered it for a while." I told him and glanced at Damon who was looking at me amused. I smiled at him. " Good Night Damon. We can continue this tomorrow when Stefan is at school. There are some things he shouldn't see or hear." I said and Damon smirked at me.

" I can barely wait." He said with a hint of excitement Stefan just looked at us confused as I walked past him and into my room on the second floor, locking the door after me not wanting any surprise guests during the night.

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**_A/N: Okay so what did you think? They made up- kind of. I had this idea a long time ago. The one with Damon thinking Danielle had just played him all along. Of course I needed them to fight a little. And poor Stefan, so confused... I know some might say like: Stefan is a vampire shouldn't he have been able to hear them yell? Well the answer is yes, but remember this is Stefan we are talking about. He wouldn't listen to Damon and Danielle's private conversation right? If you don't agree, just imagine that he was busy listening to music or maybe had lost his hearing for a while :D Just kidding. Haha..._**

**_Well please review and tell me what you thought! Thank you so much for reading!_**

**_Have a great day!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Okay so I'm updating now because I might not have time tomorrow! **_

_**To Ana, about making a sequel to this one... I'm concidering it actually. But it all depends on how many reviews I get on this one and of course If you guys want another story. So tell me when you review!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with TVD! I just own Danielle and William and any other OC's!**_

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I woke up early in the morning, sometime around four. I couldn't sleep at all. Everytime I closed my eyes, I saw William in front of me- hiding in the corner of my room. So I just laid there looking at the ceiling. I knew that I needed to get out of the house more. I needed to meet people and not just spend time drinking with Damon. Even if that had been fun a year ago, I had changed. My last encounter with William had changed me. His torture, the things I found out, everything seemed to make much more sense now.

_**Flashback**_

" _Why William? Why do you keep insisting on me marrying you? You know that I despise you, so why?" I asked him again. That was a question I asked him everyday and never got the answer. Today it was different._

" _Because I think you are beautiful." He answered me simply and I snorted._

" _So you want to marry me because of my beauty? I'm flattered but there must be more to it." He sat down on his chair in front of me, a cigar in hand. _

" _You look just like your mother." He said in a low voice and my head snapped up._

" _What are you saying?" I said and he chuckled darkly._

" _Your mother. She was one of the most beautiful young women when she was your age. She was still beautiful when she married you father but still. I had been eying her for a long time. That was when I found out what she was..." He trailed off and I looked at him with wide eyes._

" _You knew my mother?" I asked him confused as he stood up walking towards me. He grabbed my throat roughly and smiled at me as I had trouble breathing._

" _I knew your mother."_

_**End of Flashback**_

I glanced at the clock again. Seven in the morning. Stefan would probably be leaving soon and I should probably go downstairs. I took a quick shower and out on a white robe letting my wet hair fall onto my shoulder. I opened the door and heard sounds from downstairs. I slowly descended and took a good look around. Someone was in the kitchen.

Paranoid as I had become I grabbed a stake that was just laying around on one of the desks. I hit it behind my back and slowly walked into the kitchen only to see Elena standing there with a sandwich in hand. She looked at me confused.

" Danielle? Is everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." She said looking at me concerned. I looked at her and slowly put away the stake, without her noticing anything.

" Uhm Yeah just a little..." I began but trailed off. " Good morning!" I said in a perkier voice. She raised an eyebrow at me.

" You sure you're okay?" She asked and I nodded.

" Yeah. Where's Stefan? Isn't he supposed to be at school soon?" I asked changing the subject and luckily for me, Elena fell for it.

" Oh yeah. He's getting dressed. I just decided to take a quick bite before school. Didn't have time for breakfast." I chuckled slightly and she gave me a look.

" Do you mind if I take a small bite?" I joked and for a second I saw fear flash in her eyes. " Elena I'm just kidding. You know that I would never hurt you. Intentionally." I smirked and she just chuckled sarcastically.

" Ha ha Danielle. I just remembered how funny you are." She said and took a bite of her sandwich just as Stefan walked in. He took one look at us and then looked at Elena.

" Is everything alright?" He asked and I nodded walking over to the fridge and opening it.

" Yeah. Elena and I were just talking. Everything is fine." He nodded trusting me of my words. Elena nodded agreeing to what I had said.

" Danielle just joked around a little. Everything is okay." I nodded and Stefan kept looking at us.

" Go to school now. You'll be late otherwise!" I said and they both chuckled. " Tell Alaric I said hi!" I said mimicking what Damon had said about a year ago. I heard them chuckle and then they where on their way. I looked into the fridge and took out a blood bag and filled a glass with the content. I took a sip looking out the window. I watched as Stefan got into his car with Elena in the front seat and drove off with her. They seemed to be laughing and talking. Why couldn't I have that with someone? Maybe I could with Damon but I don't think so. Damon and I are still complicated, yesterday proves that. How could he have thought that I found another toy? Why did he say it like that? Why did-

" Good morning." I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and saw Damon standing there in the doorway. I followed his gaze and noticed that he was looking at my body. _Some things never change._

" Morning." I said and turned back around to face the window. I felt him walk closer to me. He was right behind me because I could feel his breathing on my neck.

" What are you looking at?" He whispered in my ear and I tried hard not to shudder. I took a sip from my drink and put the glass down on the counter. I turned around, surprised by how close he really was. My face was only inches away from his and he was looking into my eyes. I didn't blink.

" Nothing." I said and he put his hands on either side of me and got even closer it that was possible.

" You seemed lost." He stated and I didn't respond. " What where you thinking about?" Damon asked curiously. I bit my lip and noticed how his eyes immediately flickered down to look at them.

" I was thinking about going out today." I said as a matter of factly. He raised and eyebrow and smiled smugly.

" Not alone I hope?" He said/asked. I raised an eyebrow right back at him.

" Are you offering to come with me?" I asked and he shook his head.

" No I was hoping _we _could stay home today. Just you and me. Catch up you know." He said but I knew what he was thinking. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he smirked at me as I pulled him closer. His hands settled on my hips and in one swift movement he had put me up on the counter. He was between my legs and I kept pulling him closer. I stopped when our lips almost touched. He looked at me confused and I just winked at him.

" I don't think so Damon." I said and gently pushed him away from me, jumping off the counter and walking into the living room. I walked over to the couch when suddenly someone pushed me down on it. I turned around and saw Damon smirking on top of me. I smirked back.

" Do you really think I'm that easy going?" I asked him and he tilted his head looking down at me.

" Yes?" He said and I glared at him. " No." He saved and I smirked up at him. " But you did say that you where a bad girl and last time I checked, bad girl's love having fun. Especially with sexy vampires." He said and I rolled my eyes at him.

" People change. Maybe I'm not a bad girl anymore." I said and his eyes widened and then I began to laugh. " Oh my God I can't believe you fell for that." I said and he glared at me. " Sorry. I just don't want us to move to quickly." I said and he put his forehead to mine, boring into my eyes.

" We can always just have _fun_." He told me and I frowned.

" Is that all you want with me? Have fun?" I asked and he stayed quiet. I pushed him off of me and quickly walked upstairs to my room. " Don't follow me." I said already knowing that he would as soon as I turned my back and guess what? I was right.

* * *

_**A/N: I think Dani might be playing hard to get... Do you agree? Do you think this will ruin her chances with Damon?**_

_**Oh and I watched the first episode of season two online and it was AMAZING! It was like nothing I ever expected! :D:D:D:D I was sooo happy!**_

_**Well anyway, tell me what you liked the most about this chapter okay? It helps me get inspiration and if you want to then you can suggest something to happen. What do you want? I always ask this :) take the chance and tell me!**_

_**Now go and review and I might put up another chapter before the weekend ends!**_

_**Have a great day!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Okay, now I'm a little sad... I only got 2 reviews on the last chapter and I'e noticed that I have been getting less and less reviews with every chapter that comes. I need to know what you think about the story I am writing, you need to tell me if something is wrong or if something is good so that I know what you like! It helps me improve my writing and that's why I need the feedback.**_

_**Well anyway, I would like more then 2 reviews in this one though. Is that okay? I really hope you understand that I'm nt trying to be mean but I spend a lot of time writing this and that's why I want some feedback.**_

_**In this chapter we get to see some other familiar charachters from the real tv-show. You learn a little more about their relatioship and so on. :) Please enjoy!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with the Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle and for now, that's enough for me!**_

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As soon as I closed the door after me he opened it.

" I thought I told you not to follow me?" I said smirking at him as he walked closer and pushed me against the wall.

" I can't take it anymore. Will you just stop your teasing already?" He said and I smirked at him.

" I'm not teasing you." I said, my voice giving it away. He gave me a stern look. " Okay so maybe I am! What did you expect? That I would come back home and that you could just sweep me off my feet and ride into the sunset with me?" I asked him and he shook his head.

" No I was thinking that I would at least get a kiss or, _something._" He said in a suggestive tone. I chuckled.

" Forget it Damon. I know what you want, but like I said before, people change." I told him my voice suddenly serious.

" Are you saying that you don't like me anymore?" He asked me and I tilted my head looking at him.

" Depends. Do you still like me?" He looked me in the eyes and leaned closer to me.

" If you want to be such a tease, I can too." He whispered in my ear and then kissed my jaw softly, lingering a little longer then he should have.

" Is that a yes?" I asked as he pulled away looking into my eyes.

" That is a I don't know." He let go of me and walked over to the door. He turned around before opening it. " People change." He said seriously and walked out. Suddenly I began to feel regret for not giving in. It was just my nature. I need to be in control in a relationship. Not that Damon and I are in a relationship or anything, because where not. Well not yet at least. I groaned in frustration and laid down on my bed. Maybe I should go and visit Jenna. I didn't get to spend much time with her before I left. Maybe I could catch up with her or something. That would get my mind off of Damon for sure.

I got dressed, a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt, nothing to special and walked downstairs. I was wearing my black stilettos and Damon looked up when he heard me approaching.

" Are you going somewhere?" He asked me turning back to the turned off TV. I could tell he was still a little mad at me.

" Yes actually." I said taking out a glass and poured some whiskey into it.

" Where?" He asked, still not looking away from the TV.

" Jenna's. I've missed talking to her." I said and drowned the whiskey and put the glass down. " Is there something interesting on the TV or something?" I asked walking up behind him and he nodded.

" Yeah. There's a program about a guy, who get's left by a girl, who then later turns up and refuses to give the guy what he wants. Right now the guy is considering following the girl around and keep tabs on her ass." He said smugly and I put my hands on his shoulders slowly massaging them. He went tense at first, but soon relaxed.

" The girl would suggest the guy didn't do that. After all he's the only one she really cares about." I said and he looked up at me. I let go of his shoulders and walked around the couch, with him following my every move. I sat down next to him and put my head on his shoulder. He took my hand in his.

" You really mean that?" He asked and I nodded.

" Yeah. I guess I do." I said looking him in the eyes. " Sorry for being a tease. I just don't want to rush into things." I admitted and he just looked at me, with that serious look of his.

" If you don't want to, then neither do I." He said and smirked at me.

" Really Damon? You don't want to go any further with me until I want to?" He seemed to be struggling with the right answer.

" I will, _try_, to control myself around you." He said slowly and I nodded.

" This leads me to this one question." He raised an eyebrow at me.

" And that is?"

" Why didn't you tell Elena and Stefan about what happened between us?" He looked at me startled. Maybe he had been expecting another question? " You think about that until I get back from Jenna's." I said and pecked him on the cheek and walking out of the house.

I parked my car outside of Elena's house and walked up to the door. I slowly knocked and waited hearing footsteps from inside. The door opened and Jenna's jaw dropped. It quickly turned into a big smile.

" Danielle!" she said and bombarded me with a hug. " I can't believe it! You're here!" She said sounding excited. " Come in! Come in!" She said and practically dragged me inside. She dragged me to the kitchen and pushed me down on one of the chairs. " So where have you been? And how come you didn't say good bye before you left?" She asked and I bit my lip.

" Well I actually left for Washington." I admitted.

" Washington?" She asked me and I nodded.

" I got a call saying that my uncle James was there and I had to see him."

" Oh." Jenna said. " Did you find him?" She asked and I nodded then buried my hands in my face and pretended to cry.

" He died Jenna! It turned out that he was in a car accident and died by the impact!" I cried with (fake) tears running down my cheeks. Jenna's expression changed.

" Oh My Gosh. I'm sorry Danielle." She said and hugged me. I sobbed (one again fake!) on her shoulder. After a fiew moments we pulled away and I wiped my (fake) tears away.

" It's okay. I'm over it now. Well he was my only living relative so that kind of made me feel all alone for a while." I lied perfectly.

" Oh. I'm sorry for your loss." Jenna said and I nodded taking a deep breath.

" So what has been going on here?" I asked and she showed me her left hand. There on her finger was a diamond ring, sparkling as she smiled proudly. " You got engaged?" I said and stood up from my chair and she nodded.

" Yeah." She tried hard not to squeal.

" To who?" I asked surprised.

" Alaric!" She exclaimed and I stared at her in shock.

" Really? Oh my Gosh that's great! I'm so happy for you two! Congratulations!" I said and hugged her. " When's the wedding?" I asked happily and she shrugged.

" We haven't set a date yet but I would want it to be sometime in August." She told me and I nodded.

" Why August?" I asked out of curiosity.

" I've always loved that month. I don't know why. I just do. Or July? I'm not sure yet though." She explained and I nodded.

" And Rick is letting you set the date?" I asked her and she nodded.

" Yes. He's so sweet." She said and I just nodded. " So what about you? Did you meet someone in Washington?" She asked me and winked once and I quickly shook my head.

" No. I guess I've begun to think of Mystic Falls as my home and I just can't see myself dating anyone who isn't from around here." I explained and she nodded thinking about it.

" What about Damon?" She said and I almost choked on my own saliva.

" What about Damon?" I asked in another tone then hers.

" Well the two of you seemed pretty close on the Miss Mystic pageant last year. Didn't you have feelings for him or something?" she asked putting on some coffee. I shook my head.

" Nope. No way. Damon and I are just friends." I said just as the door opened and Jeremy walked in. Jenna went into auntie mode and put her hands on her hips.

" Shouldn't you be in school?" She asked and Jeremy shrugged.

" Our teacher got sick and we didn't have a substitute so now we have a free period." Jeremy said taking out a soda from the fridge. " Oh Hi there Dani." He said easily and I just waved at him slightly. " Elena said you where back. Figured it was just a matter of time before you visited." He said and I nodded. Jenna seemed satisfied with his answer and turned back to me.

" So you and Damon huh?" She said and winked as Jeremy choked on his soda and began to cough. We both looked at him in shock as he began to chuckle.

" You and Damon?" He asked almost falling over in laughter. I glared at him.

" _No._ Not me and Damon. We are just friends." I said and quickly turned to Jenna. " We are just friends." I told her to. She just gave me a small smile when the door opened again.

" Jenna have you seen- Well Hello." A blonde man walked into the kitchen and noticed me. I smiled slightly. He offered me his hand. " I'm John. John Gilbert." He said and a small bell rang inside my head.

" Elena's uncle?" I asked and he slowly nodded. Oh so _he _ was the father that had put my friends in danger. I grabbed his hand and shook it slowly. " I'm Danielle, Elena's friend." I said and he nodded looking into my eyes. I quickly let go of his hand and he looked a little startled at first but then turned to Jenna.

" Have you seen my journal anywhere?" He asked trying to sound polite.

" You mean Jonathan Gilbert's Journal that you wont ever let me see?" Jenna asked, her voice kind of annoyed. " Nope." She took a sip from her coffee. I motioned to the two of them.

" What's going on here?" I asked and John smiled at me.

" We used to sleep together." Jenna choked on her coffee and smacked him on the arm. He flinched and I chuckled at Jenna.

" There you go for saying that there's something going on between Damon and me." This time John was the one to choke. Well not really since he didn't drink anything but he froze for a second.

" Damon and you? You know Damon?" I knew I shouldn't have said that. I remember Damon saying something about protecting me from Elena's uncle (biological father). I was just about to save myself when Jenna spoke.

" Oh she lives with him." John's eyes narrowed and he looked down at my hand. I knew what he was looking for and I acted on reflex and covered my ring up with my other hand. He looked up at me again and our eyes met. _He knew._

* * *

_**A/N: Okay sno I need your help! I have written a fiew more chapters in this story and I don't know how to put John into it. You know, to make him a problem. Do you have any suggestions? If you do then tell me in a review or PM me!**_

_**Another thing: I've put up a poll, where you can go and vote it you want a third story of Tough Love! It's a blind poll and you can find it on my profile! I will reveal the results of the poll in the last chapters of this story (whenever that will be...).**_

_**And a little competition :D! I need a couples name for Damon and Danielle! :D Tell me what you would call them and I might make it the official couple name for them! The one who suggests the best couple name, wins a preview of either chapter 7, 8, 9 or 10! So review me the name you woul like and tell me which chapter you would like to see a preview of! Oh and if someone has suggested the same name, I'll give the one who reviewed it first a big sneak peak and the others a little smaller one!**_

_**If you aren't a member of ffn, then you can either give me your e-mail, if it's not to sensitive information, and I'll sent you a sneak peak! ;)**_

_**Let the competition begin!**_

_**Make me happy now and go and review! :D**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Okay so I got some more reviews and I think it was because of the competition. I need to tell you that I still havent heard a couple name that "clicked" with me... So I guess the competition continues after this chapter aswell. Don't forget to tell me what chapter you would like a sneak peak from! =)**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!**_

* * *

I stood up suddenly. Jenna looked at me with wide eyes. I scratched my head.

" Uhm. I need to go now. I have some things to do and I have to talk to Damon before he get's drunk or something." I said and tried to smile but failed.

" Is something wrong Dani?" Jenna asked and I quickly shook my head.

" No. Nope. I just felt incredibly dizzy and I need to get home. Maybe I'm getting sick or something. Feel's like I might throw up." Jenna's eyes widened even more if that was possible. She turned around.

" Jeremy, John. Leave now. I have to ask Danielle something." Jeremy left but John had to be practically pushed out of the kitchen. Jenna turned around and looked at me. " Have you and Damon... You know." She gave me a look and I quickly caught on. I dropped my jaw.

" Oh My... No! God No!" I said and chuckled.

" So there is no chance that you are..." She trailed of looking at my stomach, which I on reflex put my hands over.

" Pregnant? No. No way." I laughed and she bit her lip.

" Sorry. I just had to ask." I nodded.

" I understand. So, I gotta go now. Bye Jenna." I said and hugged her quickly and then almost ran out of the house. I walked quickly to my car and looked up at one of the windows. I saw a flash of blond hair but then it disappeared behind the curtain. I got in the car and drove off as fast as I was allowed.

" Where have you been?" Was the first thing I heard when I walked into the house. I raised an eyebrow at Damon who had a very serious look on his face.

" You know where I have been. I told you I was going to visit Jenna." I stated and walked over to the liquor cabinet and took out some red wine. Damon snickered.

" Yeah I know. I was just trying out the concerned Stefan role. It's fun you should try it sometime." He told me and I couldn't help but crack a smile.

" Stefan still isn't back from school huh?" I said and took a long sip directly from the bottle. Damon watched me while nodding.

" Didn't you stop drinking?" I shook my head.

" Nope. Just for a while." I took another sip and he walked up behind me.

" What's bothering you?" He whispered in my ear and I turned around to face him. This time the concern was real. How did he know I was was bothered?

" Nothing Damon. I'm perfectly fine." I smiled and took another sip. He put his hands on my hips and got closer to me. I had to put my arms around his neck so that I could get some space, but he soon took that too as he began to trail kisses on my neck.

" I know you. Something is bothering you." I said still kissing my neck. " I want to know what it is." I let out a small breath.

" John Gilbert..." I finally said and he stiffened. He pulled away.

" John knows about you?" He asked and I nodded.

" I met him at Elena's. At first he thought I was just Jenna's _human _friend, but then Jenna slipped and told him I was living with you and Stefan and I think he made the connection." I said putting down the bottle of wine. I put my arms around his neck again. " What are you thinking about?" I asked and he didn't answer me. He seemed to be thinking something through and seemed to have forgotten I was there. Well, I knew exactly how to get him back. I slowly got even closer to him, our bodies where touching now, and put my hands on his cheeks. I pulled him towards me and quickly placed my lips on his.

He immediately seemed to wake up and wrapped his arms around my waist as he deepened the kiss quickly. I smiled into it, it felt just like the first time we had kissed on Founder's Day last year. He slowly began to back away but he didn't let go of me. He was leading me towards the couch. Never taking our lips of each other we fell onto the couch, me on top of him. We pulled apart for a moment to look at each other. I smiled at him as he put a strand of my hair behind my ear and smirked up at me.

" I told you so." He said and I raised an eyebrow.

" You told me what?" I asked and he chuckled kissing me again.

" That you would want me sooner or later..." He said against my lips and I smirked.

" Who said I wanted you?" I asked and kissed him again and sat up. " Don't take things like this for granted. You never know what might happen next." I told him and he rolled his eyes at me.

" Come on Danielle. I know you want me. Why not just _do it _and have fun while we can? Stefan shouldn't be here until in three hours or more. Don't you know how many room's we could _play _in until he get's here?" He asked and I smacked him.

" Like I said before. Who said I want you? It's pretty clear to me that _you _are the one who want's _me._" I said and he pulled himself up on his elbows.

" Maybe I just want to use you and then throw you away?" He said but I could tell he wasn't serious. I smirked and pulled myself on top of him again. I grabbed his arms roughly and put them over his head, straddling him.

" I think I'm the one who might throw you away in the end." I whispered and leaned down pressing my lips to his once again. I let go of his arms and put my head on his chest. He didn't try or do anything else. We just laid there in each others arms- slightly afraid of what might come next.

Hours passed and we where now sitting up and having a staring competition. I tilted my head to the side and watched him.

" Can't we have a imitate Stefan competition instead? I bet I could win that one." Damon said after he lost again.

" Yes Damon. We can." I said, doing my best Stefan impression.

" You have no idea how dangerous Damon is. He- he could kill you without blinking." Damon said, mimicking Stefan.

" Elena. Oh Elena. I love you so much but we just can't be together because I'm a vampire and I'm so dangerous. I eat bunnies for a living!" I said and Damon chuckled.

" Damon you killed my best friend. I hate you and I am going to kill you, but I can't right now I have to go and-" I stopped him.

" You killed Stefan's best friend?" I asked in disbelief and Damon stopped.

" It was a more then a year ago. He got over it." He told me shrugging.

" Someone doesn't get over something like that so easily." I stated and Damon pursed his lips into a tight line.

" It was a part of my plan..." He mumbled and I raised an eyebrow.

" Excuse me? What plan exactly?" I said and stood up from the couch.

" Come on Danielle. It was a long time ago, it doesn't matter anymore." He said standing up after me.

" What _plan _Damon?" I demanded and he closed his eyes and sighed.

" My plan on how to free Katherine and get back together with her." He finally said and something inside of me broke.

" You wanted to get back together with her?" I asked, but didn't even recognize my own voice.

" Like I said, this was month's before you came to Mystic Falls. I don't want that anymore." He said grabbing my hand. I pulled away from him.

" No Damon. Just, no." I said and turned on my heel and walked away. I heard him follow me.

" Danielle I don't want to be with Katherine anymore!" He yelled and I stopped abruptly and turned around.

" Really Damon? You killed your brother's best friend in order to be with her. What would you have done if she really had been in that tomb? Would you have gotten together with her? Would you have kissed her passionately and then married her?" I yelled in his face. " What would you then have done if I arrived?" I asked calming down a little. " Would you still have felt the same way about me?" I couldn't believe how hurt I sounded.

" Nothing can change the way I feel about you." He said grabbing my shoulders and looking into my eyes.

" What do you feel then Damon. I wont believe it until you tell me." I said sternly.

" I told you last year." He said and I shook my head.

" That was then and now is now. Tell me how you feel about me!" I demanded.

" I like you okay!" He snapped and I stared at him. " I like you _very _much! I don't know if it is your personality or the fact that you are absolutely beautiful but something makes me like you and I'm dying to find out what it is!" He said and I didn't move. " Maybe you have changed." He said calming down a little. " Your appearance I mean. Maybe you have changed your feeling's too but that doesn't change mine." He said and I couldn't help but crack a small smile.

" I think you won." I said and he looked at me confused.

" What are you talking about now?" He asked and I chuckled, wrapping my arms around his neck.

" You sound so much like Stefan. You won the game." I stated and he seemed to understand. He smirked wrapping his arms around my waist pulling me closer to him.

" And what's my reward?" He asked and I leaned in.

" Whatever you want." I purred and our lips connected once again. The door opened and we jumped apart as if we had been burned. Stefan and Elena walked in and looked at us.

" Hi." Elena said and walked over towards the couch sitting down. I saw the tortured look on Damon's face when he tried to hide the fact that we had been interrupted.

" What have you done today?" Stefan asked me and my eyes locked with Damon's for a second.

" Nothing new." I said and I saw him smirk as he turned around walking to the kitchen. I smiled at a very confused Stefan and walked after Damon. He pulled out a blood bag as I sat down on the counter across from him, watching him pour it into a glass. He looked up at me and leaned back and then we just stared at each other.

" Dani! Stefan is driving me home! I'll see you tomorrow!" Elena called from the living room and I heard the door close after them. Damon looked at me and quirked an eyebrow.

" Don't you have something to say?" He asked and I hopped off the counter and walked up to him. I softly kissed him and then pulled back smiling.

" I like you too." He flashed me a grin and I just smiled. " I'm going off to bed. I'm tired." I said and I knew he wanted to follow me but I shook my head. " Not yet Damon. I'm not done being a tease." I laughed and his expression changed as he smirked at me.

" Knowing you Dani, you never will." I smiled at him and walked upstairs knowing that this time, he wouldn't follow me. Mostly because I had confirmed what he wanted. I had confirmed that I liked him and we had shared out first official kiss since I had returned. I smiled knowing that there would be many more coming...

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_**A/N: Okay so in this chappie you got both a fight, a make up and some fluff! :) I'm feeling nice today and that is because I don't know if I'll be able to update soon.**_

_**Why? **__**You have no idea how much it hurts for me to write right now. Yesterday in P.E class I jumped high in the air to catch a frisbee and in the air I turned wrong and I fell to the ground. I tried to catch myself before falling and ended up with a sprained wrist. It hurts like hell now and I can barely write on my computer. I had to go to the nurse and she checked if I had broken something because it was turning blue. She said that if it continued hurting I would have to go to the hospital and believe me I'm thinking about it because pain killers aren't helping at all...**_

_**Well see how it goes...**_

_**Anyway don't forget to review!**_

_**Love ya'll!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Okay so I'm back with chapter 8! Yay! I have still not decided what the couple name for Damon and Danielle will be. I guess I need to decide now or never because the next chapter (chapter 9) will be oh so special. Maybe there shouldn**__**t be a couple name for them.**__** Okay so I'll make a new competition instead:**_

_**The one who answers one of these riddles first and CORRECTLY wins a sneak peak of the next "special" chapter!**_

_**1. What does the crime but doesnt do the time?**_

_**2. What letter is next in this sequence?  
M, A, M, J, J, A, S, O,_ **_

_**3. My life can be measured in hours,  
I serve by being devoured.  
Thin, I am quick  
Fat, I am slow  
Wind is my foe. **_

_**So the one who answers one of them, YES I said ONE, will get a sneak peak of the next chapter! But only the one who answers first will get it! Those who aren't members of FFN don't forget to give me an e-mail adress that I can send the sneak peak if you win. Trust me I am no maniac on the internet and I will delete your e-mail immeadiatly after that and if you want to your review as well. Just TELL me and I will.**_

**_Now on with the story!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: Are you freaking kidding me? Do I still have to write these? Okay... I don't own anything that has to do with the Vampire Diaries. I just own Danielle and any other Oc's mentioned._**

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The next day I woke up smiling. I quickly got up and got dressed. I didn't want to waste a second that I could spend with Damon.

I put on a pair of tight short jeans and a black shirt. Over that I was wearing a gray cardigan and on my feet I had black stilettos. I let our my hair and walked downstairs to find Damon standing up, waiting for someone- waiting for _me. _

" Good Morning." He said. " Stefan already left." He said when I gave him a questioning look to why he was pulling me to him. " I've got something for you." He said and she raised an eyebrow.

" Really? What might that be?" She said as he slowly took out something from his pocket. He lifted something up and dangled it in front of me as I recognized the gold. _My Locket._

" You said that you would come back for it. For _me." _He said and I nodded watching as he unclasped it and walked around me putting it around my neck. " And so you did." He said and finally put it where it belonged and kissed my neck softly. I smiled picking it up in my hand. I turned around quickly and kissed him.

" Thank you." I said against his lips. " You don't know how much I appreciate you keeping it safe for me." I pulled my hands up to his neck and embraced him. He returned the hug and we stayed like that for a moment. For a second I wanted to stop being a tease and just _be _with him, but I restrained myself and pulled away from another passionate kiss. He looked at me as if he was dazed. " Can't you tell me the entire story on what happened on Founder's Day last year? After I left?" I said pouting and he nodded slowly but once again claimed my lips. " Now please?" I said pulling away and he nodded again.

" Uhm. Sure, just sit down." He said and we walked over to the couch sitting down as he told me, everything. At the end of his story I was speechless. He seemed to be waiting for my reaction and at that moment I didn't know what it would be. I just stared at him- face blank, no emotions.

" So?" He asked and the next thing I knew I had tackled him, with my lips pressing against his. He was shocked at first but soon responded with as much force as he usually did, if not more. I was on top of him now and I pulled away.

" So you're telling me that Bonnie went all I-need-revenge-on-vampires-because-of-my-grandma-crazy?" I had said it so quickly that it confused even me but Damon seemed to have caught it because he nodded. " Oh God I'm so glad you're okay!" I kissed him again and his arms traveled to my back and then he began to lift up my shirt. I pulled away putting my hands on his. He glared at me.

" Are you serious?" He asked and I smirked nodding. " After what I just told you you wont even give me a _peak_?" He sounded really annoyed but I simply stood up and straightened my shirt.

" Not right now Damon. I have some _buisness _to attend to." I said turning around and walking towards the door, but then I stopped. I turned around and walked back to him. He was still laying on the couch and he looked up at me. " What are we Damon?" I asked him and he looked at me confused.

" Sexy Vampires?" He smirked and I shook my head.

" I mean like, what are _we_." I motioned to the two of us and he shrugged.

" What do you want us to be?" He asked me and I began to feel really uncomfortable. I knew what I wanted. I wanted us to be _us_, as in _together. _But what if that wasn't what Damon wanted? He seemed to be knowing what I was thinking because he stood up and cupped my cheeks. " What do you want us to be Danielle?" He asked, this time his voice a little softer. I looked into his eyes and knew that he wanted me to say it.

" I want _us._" The way I said it made him understand because he leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. Not like we usually kissed, roughly and with passion. It was different and it made me realize what we where. He pulled away and then said the words that confirmed what I was thinking.

" Then we are _together-_" He smirked. "-_girlfriend." _I chuckled at him and smacked him playfully. He just kept smirking and kissed me again. It took all of my strength to pull away but I did it.

" I need to go." I said again.

" Aww come on Dani. We are together now, why can't we just go upstairs and celebrate?" I raised an eyebrow at him, slightly amused.

" Are you _that _desperate?" I said knowing this would challenge him to trying to keep his hands off of me.

" No! I'm a Salvatore! And Salvatore's are _never _desperate!" He exclaimed but seemed to change his mind. " Well except for Stefan of course but he doesn't count right now." Stefan. That reminded me of something.

" Why didn't you tell Stefan and Elena about what happened between us last year?" He looked back at me with mysterious eyes.

" I don't know how to explain it really. It all happened so fast. I myself didn't know what we where after that first kiss and that is mainly why I followed you home. Then you told me your story and left. I didn't know for sure if we had started something officially or if it was just a spur of the moment that made us act the way we did. That's why I didn't tell Stefan and Elena all the details." He put a strand of my hair behind my ear.

" Wow. That was deep." I stated simply and he rolled his eyes.

" I know, I'm so sappy." He said giving me his smirk and pulled my face closer to his as our lips met again. He began to pull me towards the stairs but I pulled away.

" Nice try Damon." I said and kissed him once again and strutted to the door. " I'll be back later today." He groaned, giving up for once and walked to the kitchen probably to get something to drink. When I exited the house, realization hit me. Damon and I where officially a couple.

* * *

_**A/N: Okay so don't forget the competition! I'll try to update soon and yay they are a couple now! ^^**_

_**So go and review and tell me what you think Dani is up to and don't forget the questions!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N: So as promised I have sent the preview of this chapter to the winners of the competition. Once again, Congratulations to ___****Starangel5593, DimFishLovesParamore. and Noelle! Oh yeah and I added "DimFish" as a winner because she got two of the questions right. **

**____****Okay so now on with this chapter! I really hope you'll like it! It has a small twist in the end. I mean of course on Damon and Danielle's relationship. Or more like Dani changes her mind on one thing. :) **

**____****ENJOY!**

**____****DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle and any other OC mentioned!**

**____****

* * *

**

I was sitting in the small café in town. I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself so I had ordered a latte and was now sitting by the window, staring out on the street. The hours passed quickly but I stayed put. I knew what I was waiting for. I knew _who _I was waiting for. I had followed her scent to this café. I had even been at the Grill to ask Matt where _she _used to hang out nowadays. He told me that she didn't visit the Grill as often but that he had seen her at this café a fiew times. So here I was. Simply waiting for the right moment, when I heard the bell.

My head turned towards the door and I saw her walk in. She was wearing simple jeans and a black shirt with a cardigan over it. She looked around and her eyes stopped on me. I saw something flash in her eyes as she turned on her heel and walked out again. I stood up and calmly paid the girl at the counter and followed her.

It was already dark outside- which gave _me _an advantage. I smiled to myself. Being a vampire isn't as bad as it seems to be. She began to walk faster, her heels clinking on the pavement. For me it was enough to walk in my normal speed and I would catch up with her in no time. I don't know what it was- maybe she was stressed or something- but she walked into an alley and then I knew we wouldn't have to pretend now that we where alone. After all, she was a witch.

Bonnie walked all the way to the wall and then turned around to finally face me. She looked a little pale, but then again who wouldn't be? I was a vampire after all. She was the first one to speak, breaking the silence.

" Hello Danielle. I heard you where back in town." She forced a smile. I smiled back at her but my smile was real. I wanted to keep this a civil as I could.

" Yes. I am." I said simply and she quirked a questioning eyebrow at me.

" How long are you planning to stay this time?" I shrugged at her question.

" I was thinking _forever-_" I began. "-but then of course it depends on how things work out." She seemed a little surprised by my answer.

" Oh really?" Bonnie said as I took a step closer towards her as she pressed her back against the wall. " What do you want from me Danielle?" I gave her a small smile.

" I heard you helped to save Damon last year." I stated, keeping my voice neutral. She slowly nodded.

" Yes," She began. " but what does that have to do with-"

" I wanted to thank you." I said and she looked startled at me. " Damon and Stefan are like family to me and I'm glad you where there to protect them both from the fire." I wasn't going to let her know that I knew the whole story. Not _yet _anyway.

" Your welcome." She said keeping a straight face and beginning to walk around me. " I guess we're done here." Just before she passed me I grabbed her by the throat and in one swift movement I had her pinned to the wall again.

" I was not finished!" I snarled at her baring my fangs. She looked at me with fear in her eyes, which made me know that I had her where I wanted her. " Your first mistake was thinking you could get away with your little _stunt._" She gasped for air, realizing that I knew the truth of what had happened that day when Damon had gotten captured.

" I t-talked to Stefan and told him I only protect humans!" She said, struggling to break free from my grip.

" I'm not Stefan." I growled at her to shut up. " Your second mistake, was not to warn _both _Stefan and Damon before they handed the devise over to Elena's uncle or father or whatever. Your grandmother was dead and nothing you where doing then could make her come back! I don't care if Damon attacked you either! What you did was wrong and you put both of them in danger!" I said, getting angrier as she looked into my eyes.

" I can torture you by just looking into your eyes." She said, with no sign of fear in her voice.

" And _I _can _kill _you with just the flick of my thumb." She closed her mouth again- wise of her. " Like I said before: Damon and Stefan are like family to me. If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will kill you. If you ever think of using your powers on them, I _will _kill you." My next words came out as a whisper, but where clearer then any other I have ever said. " I've lost my family once Bonnie. I won't do it again." I looked into her eyes. " Think about that next time and remember-" I leaned towards her ear. "-I'll be watching." I let go of her, making her fall to the ground gasping and walked away before she could utter another word.

I parked my car outside the Salvatore Boarding house. The lights where still on- meaning someone was still awake- but Stefan's car was nowhere in sight. I opened the door and slammed it shut walking towards the front door. My interaction with Bonnie made me realize something. I did consider Damon and Stefan family. Two different types though. Stefan was like the brother I had never had while Damon was the boyfriend I could never dream of. I didn't want to lose that. I realized I was actually afraid of losing them- _both _of them. I knocked on the door even if I didn't have to and waited. Soon I heard footsteps coming and then the door opened to reveal Damon. His hair was messy, almost like he had been running his hands through it and he was wearing his leather jacket, meaning he had been ready to go outside. Our eyes met.

" I was just about to come look for you." He told me. " I thought you might have left again but then thought maybe Willia-" I crashed my lips against his, making him shut up. He dropped his car keys and pulled me inside, closing the door after us. I pulled off his jacket and his hands cupped my cheeks as he pulled away looking dazed.

" I thought you didn't want to yet." He said and I shook my head.

" Oh I'm done being a tease." That was his cue and he claimed my lips again while I pulled myself up and wrapped my legs around him when he carried me upstairs, his lips never leaving mine. I pulled away just as we where outside of his room. " Wait. What about Stefan?" I murmured.

" What about him? Don't tell me you want him to _join_ because I tell you that is _never _going to happen!" Damon said and I looked at him like he was crazy.

" First of all, _eww_, and secondly, we have been fighting and acting as just friends for a long time and now suddenly we are together. What do we tell him and what if he walks in on us?" I said it all quickly because I couldn't wait to get into the room. Damon thought about it for less then a second.

" Well take care of that tomorrow, besides-" He smirked. "-Stefan is staying at Elena's tonight." That was enough for me and we where once again kissing. He opened the door to his room and then closed it after us by pushing it with his foot.

He slowly dropped me onto his bed and straddled me as I worked on getting his shirt off. He began to work on my buttons getting frustrated when he couldn't open them.

" Why do you have to wear this _damned _shirt?" He nearly yelled as he just ripped it open. I chuckled.

" Look who's a eager beaver? Can't wait huh?" I mocked. " And you owe me a new shirt. That was my favorite." I said as he glared down at me.

" Danielle. I will tell you this one time." He said, still glaring. " I have waited for over a year for you. I waited before you left for you to stop being so stubborn and _now _when I _finally _get what I want, you can't seem to stop interrupting me! So will you please just _shut up _and let me do my thing?" He was breathing heavily and I looked up at him. I smiled and grabbed onto his neck pulling him down so that out lips could meet again. Believe me, after that I didn't interrupt him anymore. I just let him do his "thing" and I enjoyed it very, _very _much...

* * *

**_A/N: Well... It's not like it's a mystery, what they did I mean... Hehe. :) I didn't want to torture Damon anymore! Haha! Well, I hope you guys are at least a little happy and thankful so that youwill review a little more. So will you please just answer these questions?_**

**_1. What did you like the most about this chapter? The Bonnie/Danielle confrontation scene or the Damon/Dani in the end?_**

**_2. Why? (Answer the question above first)_**

**_3. What do you hope will happen in the next chapter? =)_**

**_Thank you and please just give me like ONE minute of your time so that you can review! Thank yooooou!_**

**_Have a great day!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: Hi everyone! =)_**

**_I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not a big fan of intimate scenes so I would never write anything like that in details. I mean you'll be able to understand what they did, but you'll never really read about it. =)_**

**_So now when that's out of the way I wanted to tell you that in this chappie you get a flashback from Danielle's past, a small Damon/Danielle bicker/fight and a little more ;)_**

**_I really hope you'll like it, please review and tell me okay? It would really help me._**

**_Btw, I'll be really busy with school work so I don't know when I'll have time to post again. I think that "I'll post on saturdays" thing is screwed now anyway. Ah well, ENJOY!  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own my oc's! And I do now own Joseph Oller (who was a real person, you can google him!) nor the Moulin Rouge! _**

* * *

_**1889**_

" _Oh Joseph this is wonderful!" I laughed as we where backstage. He grinned at me from ear to ear. I was wearing the new costume he had assigned to me. France was really wonderful this time of the year._

" _Only the best for my favorite dancer!" He exclaimed in a slight accent. " Now Danielle, we have some buisness to attend to." He said kissing my neck. His mustache tickled me and I giggled. _

" _But Monsieur Oller, stop it." I giggled as he turned me around. _

" _You need to get ready for tonight's show!" He suddenly exclaimed. " I have had a special request made by a rich man. You need to impress him because he is considering donating money to my next project!" He told me and I nodded._

" _I'll do my best." I smiled and went to get ready._

_(Later that night)_

" _And now, as for a special request for tonight: Miss Danielle!" The announcer yelled in and wild applauds filled the dimly lit room. I felt the spotlight hit me and walked slowly to the front of the stage, showing off my long legs. I began to hum to the music as I walked off the stage and walked to the assigned table. A man was sitting alone in a dark coat and high hat. I smiled and began to sing to the music walking over to him and sitting down next to him, people watching my every move. The man looked up and I choked in the middle of the song.** Oh no**, I thought and got up on stage again finishing the song and dance watching the cancan dancers fill the stage. I ran backstage again and Joseph stopped me._

" _Where do you think you are going Danielle! You have another number soon!" He said and I shook my head._

" _I am sorry Monsieur but I quit. I cannot do this anymore!" I exclaimed, faking hurt and slapped him across the face. I had learned from previous times that I needed to hurt the people I had come to care about, so that **he **wouldn't go after them if they followed me._

" _But I do not understand! I thought we where happy!" He exclaimed getting down on his knees. He put his hands together. " Please Danielle! Stay with me! I will double your payment! Anything! Just tell me what to do!" He said and I forced myself to look at him in disgust._

" _You are not man enough to deserve me. I know about you and Gabriella!" I said huffing and walking away as I heard him sob after me._

_The cold air hit me. Why hadn't I changed first? Now I was walking in my dancing clothes and high heels. They where hard enough to run in. I rounded the corner when someone grabbed my wrists. I struggled knowing who it was. _

" _Let go of me William!" I screamed as he blew cigarette smoke on me. " No!" He just chuckled darkly._

" _I found you at last my love." He murmured and dragged me with him into the night..._

_**Present time**_

I opened my eyes quickly. Where was I? I looked around slowly realizing I was in a bedroom. The events from last night began to come back to me. Soft kisses...Passion...Heat..._Damon_. I tried to get out of the bed when I noticed I was missing my clothes. I turned around seeing Damon's sleeping figure next to me. I felt my lips beginning to turn up into a smile. _Yes. I remember, _I thought and got closer to him. He was laying on his stomach with his head turned towards me as I softly kissed his lips. At first he was still but then they began to move in harmony with mine. I pulled away and he opened his eyes slightly.

" Best wake up ever..." He mumbled turning around and pulling me on top of him. I let out a laugh as his arms wrapped around me. " Have fun last night?" He asked and I bit my lip.

" I guess." I said and he frowned.

" You guess?" He repeated. " I thought it went really good and you seemed to be enjoying it you know." I smirked at him.

" Well yeah and you seemed to enjoy the things I did too..." I trailed of and he flipped us over so that he was on top. I smiled at him.

" About _that._" He said and gave me his smug look. " Some of those things where rather impressive, if I might say so myself..." He trailed off then I started kissing his neck.

" Uh-hu? And now," I said kissing his jaw. " you want to know where little _innocent _me could have learned _those _things?" He slowly nodded and I let out a laugh. " Well let's say that a lot of things happened in France during 1884-1889." I smirked. " Especially that last year backstage at the Moulin Rouge..." I trailed off thinking about it.

" The Moulin Rouge?" He asked and I nodded. " What where you? A dancer? A singer?"

" Both."

" And yet you have never showed me anything?" He asked acting offended.

" Maybe we should just get up now?" I said making a point but we didn't. We didn't _talk _much either, but we stayed in bed for at least three more hours...

" How do you feel about going dancing?" I suddenly asked. We where still in bed but had gotten dressed- well at least a little- meaning we where wearing underwear.

" What do you mean?" Damon asked playing with a strand of my hair. I sat up and turned to look at him.

" I mean going out tonight?" He didn't show any emotion whatsoever on his face.

" Do you mean like a date?" He asked and I laughed.  
" Urgh no. I think we two are past dating don't you think? I think my last date was sometime during the second World War." I said thoughtfully. He raised an eyebrow.

" Is it someone I should be worrying about?" He asked and I chuckled.

" No Damon. We all know you don't worry about people..." I trailed off.

" I could try it out." He said and I shook my head.

" No. You just stay the way you are and I'll like you. I don't want you to turn into Stefan." I joked and he chuckled. " Or maybe I do?" His amused face turned into a glare that made me laugh.

" Let's go back to dancing." He said changing the subject. " I don't think I'm up for it tonight." I bit my lip.

" What is it Damon? Had your fun with me and now you want to throw me away?" I purred kissing his bare chest. " Or do you just think I'm to _old _for you?" He seemed troubled.

" Well technically-" He began but I stopped him.

" Oh so you do think so?" I huffed, slightly offended and sat up. He quickly sat up to.

" No. I was going to say that technically you're just nineteen." I quickly turned around again.

" And you are twenty-one and that makes you older then me." I said and he nodded. " And we are not counting the year that has passed right? Or should we say that I'm twenty now and that you are twenty-two?" I asked him and he shrugged.

" People don't ask about age. They just assume they know it." He stated blankly and I glared at him.

" Alright but what does all of this have to do with dancing?" I snapped.

" You tell me. You're the one who started talking about age in the first place." He yelled back at me. And that was it. We stopped talking and just glared at each other. We where both breathing heavily as I stood up.

Damon looked at me as I got dressed. " Where are you going now?" I looked at him while picking up my ripped shirt and threw it at him.

" First I'm going to get a new shirt, and then I'll go downstairs and wait until Stefan get's here so that I can ask him if _he _want's to go dancing with me." I said and walked out of the room slamming the door after me. I heard him groan and smiled satisfied as I walked into my room.

_Oh I will make him regret that he said no to go dancing with me_, I thought as I looked at my dress. I was wearing a low cut black dress that went down to my upper thigh. I was also wearing high heeled boots and red lipstick. Not pink, or some other fake red- but _real _blood red lipstick. I had let out my hair and it was now falling flawlessly on my shoulders as I flipped it and then walk out of the room. Like I had suspected Damon was downstairs, drinking. No not alcohol- blood. I inhaled through my nose and felt how my throat slowly began to burn. He looked at me but didn't react. I walked straight past him towards the kitchen where I took a glass for myself. I drowned it and the burning came to a stop. I walked into the living room again and looked at Damon who was now sitting on the couch. I smiled smugly and licked my lips walking over to him. I stood in front of him and he looked up at me.

" I think I've told you before that you clean up nice." He stated and I nodded.

" Yes you have. Before we admitted to liking each other." I slowly sat down, one leg on either side of him and put my arms around his neck.

" If this is a way of you getting me to go out and dance with you, then it _might _work." He said and I pouted.

" Damon, you know that I don't want us to become a sappy couple like Stefan and Elena. I like to have _fun _and I want to keep it that way for a while at least." He put his hands on my thighs and I smiled. _Big mistake Salvatore._ " I have already told you that I'm going clubbing with Stefan. I haven't said anything about changing your mind."

" Well Stefan is a-" He trailed of when I suddenly began to trail kissed on his jaw.

" Stefan is a what?" I asked him in a purr. His breathing quickened slightly.

" He's boring. You know that. I would be so much more fun. I think that is the main reason you chose me." I was about to kiss the corner of his lips when I stopped.

" What do you mean I _chose _you?" I asked, genuinely curious.

" To be with you."

" Who said it was a choice? Stefan had Elena. Why would I want to split them up?"

" Because you _could._" He answered and I nodded. He was right. I could have split them up if I had wanted to. But I didn't. " I actually thought you would go for him. Not that he is hotter then me- I mean come on, who IS?- but because he was a lot nicer to you then I was." I bit my lip again. I slowly pulled him towards me and kissed his lips softly.

" You where just the way I wanted you to be." I told him, knowing that it was true. " I wouldn't have picked anyone else." I kissed him again. " Why would you suddenly get an idea like this?"

" I thought about it, when you where asleep and when you went to your room after our small fight." His words seemed strained. He was struggling with how to tell me and I knew it. " I just thought, you could have done so much better then me. You are beautiful and you could have just pointed at someone and he would have been yours." I was about to say something but closed my mouth when he continued. " And not just that, but if I had been nicer to you since the beginning then you might have told me about William sooner and you wouldn't have had to leave. That way we might have been together a long time ago."

" Are you finished?" I asked once he stopped. He met my eyes and nodded slowly. " Damon listen," I started. " I don't regret anything that happened between us. It's just the way we are. It's in our nature. What's in the past is in the past. We now only have the future to look forward to. We shouldn't dwell on what has been but look forward on what is yet to come." He nodded again then chuckled and gave me an amused smirk. " Oh what now?" I asked groaning.

" You really are old." He said and I smacked him as I got off of him.

" Not helping yourself. I'm still going with Stefan." I said as he pushed me down on my back and began to kiss me softly.

" Are you sure Danielle? We could have so much more fun here." He said and kissed my neck. I felt his fangs barely grazing my neck and let out a pleasure filled moan. He licked the spot, tasting my blood.

" I hate you." I told him playfully wrapping my arms around his neck again.

" I hate you too." He began to kiss me again and it grew more and more passionate.

" Hey guys we are- OH MY GOD!" Elena's voice rang through my ears and my eyes opened and I looked towards the door. There stood Elena with her hands over her mouth, wide eyed and looking at us in shock. I waved slightly, still under Damon.

" Uhm. Hi Elena?" I tried as my smile fell, knowing that there was no way to cover this up now.

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**_A/N: BUSTED! ^^ What did you think? Can Dani cover this up now? I mean she could if she wanted to (or if I made her) but maybe she just can't go around pretending anymore? What do you think? Review please!_**

**_I forgot to tell you who liked Dani all badass, trust me I will write in some more Badass Dani ;) Just for you!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N: So now it's time for me to update! yay! =D_**

**_So I just thought about this story and I've figured out that this story will be lobger than the last one. Hmm... What do you think about that?_**

**_So the reason I'm updating is that t_****_omorrow is my Birthday (24 of October). I'm turning 16 and I really hope you guys will review and make me happy for it because I wont be checking the reviews until tomorrow! ;)_**

**__****_Now last chappie I left you guys with a small cliffy, hope you'll like how I solved the little thing. ^^_**

_Enjoy!_

_DISCLAIMER: I just own Danielle and William. I have nothing to do with the making of the other characters._

* * *

Elena looked at us in shock. I bit my lip.

" This isn't what it looks like." I said before I could stop myself. Damon wouldn't get off of me so I had to push him off. I quickly stood up and straightened my dress that Damon had been lifting up slowly, without me noticing. Elena crossed her arms.

" Well it looked like you were about to sleep with him." She said and pointed at Damon who now was sitting on the couch with his head held high. I looked at him and then back at Elena.

" Then I guess it's exactly what it looks like." Damon snickered and I shot a glare at him. " Where is Stefan? He should probably be here when I tell you-"

" Tell us what Dani?" Stefan asked walking in. I sighed.

" Okay, I know this may come as a shock to you guys but-" I walked over to Damon and put a hand on his shoulder. "-Damon and I are together." Elena snorted.

" After what I just saw it wasn't hard to guess..." She mumbled, but it was still loud enough to hear. Stefan was staring at us.

" Are you joking or something? Because it's not funny you know." He stated and I shook my head, but Damon answered instead.

" No brother. Dani and I have been together for aprox 24 hours now." He said checking his watch. Stefan rolled his eyes and groaned.

" Of course! All it took was for me to stay _one _night at Elena's and you two would be all over each other!" He exclaimed and once again I bit my lip.

" Well Damon and I kind of admitted to liking each other the day I left." Stefan's and Elena's eyes widened.

" Really?" Elena asked and I nodded.

" You _like _her?" Stefan asked Damon who nodded.

" I think she made that clear." Damon answered smugly and Stefan ignored him.

" But you don't _like _people!" He ran a hand through his hair. Elena was trying not to smile. She gave me a look that said, _I'm-happy-for-you-guys-but-unless-my-boyfriend-accepts-it-I-can't-show-it. _Damon stood up suddenly.

" Well I do now and if you can't deal with it then you might as well get lost because I don't care." He snapped and I stepped in between them.

" You are just doing this to get to me! You just want to take away another one of my friends!" Stefan yelled and I clapped my hands in front of his face.

" Stefan! Stop it." He looked at me again. " You two are brothers! You shouldn't fight! Trust me I've had a sister and all I did was fight with her and now, she's gone and you have no idea how much I miss her! If I could bring her back I would and I know that you two also love each other but you are both acting like you don't and I'm sick of it!" My voice had gotten higher and now I was yelling. " God you two are so _stupid_! You have no idea!" I didn't know if I was making any sence anymore but I was really mad at them. How could they do this to each other? Act as if they hate each other but if anything where to happen to them they would be miserable. I know I was. " I wont talk to any of you until you get a grip and start acting like the adults you are!" Damon was smirking amused and Stefan looked like he had just been slapped across the face. " Elena! Back me up here!" I said looking at the girl who jumped when I yelled. She walked up next to me.

" She's right you guys." She turned to Damon first. " Damon, you need to grow up and act like you're your age." She seemed to be thinking it through. " Whatever age you pick of course." She then turned to Stefan. " And you Stefan need to accept this. If Dani and Damon want to be together you can't stop them." She said and I nodded.

" Thank you Elena." I said smiling proudly.

" I mean we both know that they are two head strong people that only do what they think is right and-" She continued and I stopped her.

" Once again _thank you, _Elena." I said annoyed and she shut up. " So, what do you guys say now?" I asked and Stefan looked up at me.

" Fine then. You guys can be together and you have my blessing-"

" Why would we _need _your blessing? We can do whatever the hell we want." Damon interrupted and I stopped him.

" Shh!" I looked at Stefan. " Please continue." He nodded thankfully.

" -but can you please try to _behave_?" He asked with emphasys and I grinned at him.

" Of course Stefan." I smiled and Damon looked at me in dissbelief.

" What are you talking about Dani?" He asked and I smirked at him.

" What Damon? Are you getting obsessed with me or something?" He snorted.

" No, but we just got together and I thought you liked having fun."

" There is more then _that_ way to have _fun, _Damon." I snapped and walked to Stefan's side and smiled at him. " Stefan would you like to go dancing with me tonight?" I asked politely and he raised an eyebrow.

" Are you still going on about that?" Damon groaned and I nodded.

" Yes I am." I turned back to Stefan. " So? What do you say? We haven't hung out in a while. Please?" I dragged it out like a little child.

" I think it's a great idea." Elena said, starteling me. I tilted my head slightly and looked at her confused.

" Really?" She nodded.

" Yeah. Besides I have history homework tonight anyway and Stefan already knows everything about the civil war-" I smirked. "-and you really haven't hung out. You're friends, go have fun." She smiled and I nodded turning back to Stefan.

" See! Even Elena thinks we haven't hung out in a while. So what do you say- buddy?" I nearly laughed out loud when I said buddy, but managed to stop myself.

" Alright I guess." Stefan said and I jumped up excited.

" Yes! It's going to be so much fun!"

" But please don't drink." He told me. " I don't know if I can handle drunk Dani tonight." I nodded once and turned to Damon.

" Sorry Damon," He looked up at me. " I guess you're staying alone at home tonight. Have fun." I ran to the stairs. " Stefan I'll be back in less then five minutes. Just need to change quickly." I winked and went to my room.

**_(...)_**

Four minutes later I walked down after changing. I was now wearing a dark purple blouse and black tight jeans and knee height black high heeled boots. Elena had already left, I had heard her say good bye, but Damon and Stefan where still in the living room.

" You ready?" I asked and they turned around. Stefan had also changed. He was wearing jeans and a white shirt and black leather jacket was swung over his shoulder.

" Yeah." He said and smirked at Damon. They had obviously been talking or argueing about something. Damon took out a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to Stefan. " Thank you." Stefan said smugly for once and Damon rolled his eyes.

" Do I need to know?" I asked and Stefan shook his head, giving me the _I'll-tell-you-later-look. _Damon stood up and walked up to me wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer to him.  
" You owe me twenty bucks." He murmured and leaned in. I, being my stubborn self backed up a little. " And we could have had more fun here." He added looking into my eyes, curiousity written over his face for some reason.

" Well you can still come if you want." I said and couldn't help but look at his lips. He grinned as if he had won a prize.

" As much fun as It would be to watch you dance, I don't think I can. I have some things to do but since Stefan get's you tonight maybe you and I can go somewhere tomorrow." I tried hard not to gape at him.

" Really? You want to go somewhere tomorrow?" I asked and he nodded. " What have you done now?" I asked and he shrugged.

" Nothing. I just thought that you would like the sappy romantic boyfriend/girlfriend things." I rolled my eyes.

" You just have to ruin everything don't you?" He shook his head and pulled me closer again. He leaned in again.

" You're the one who ruins it..." He was just about to kiss me when someone cleared his throat. I snapped my head in the direction annoyed and saw Stefan looking uncomfortable.

" Sorry to interuppt, but do you still want to go dancing or what?" He asked me and I nodded. I had nearly forgotten about it with Damon being so- uh, un-Damon-ish. I don't even think that is a word but now it's in my dictonary.

" Yeah. Can you just wait in the car?" I asked and he nodded walking out. I turned back to Damon and he claimed my lips as soon as Stefan was out. I kissed back fiercefully, enjoying every second of it. I pulled away and he looked at me.

" Have fun." He simply said and I nodded biting my lip.

" I will." _I hope._

**( A little later...)**

" So why did Damon give you twenty bucks?" I asked over the loud music as we entered the club.

" Oh, he just said that you would be wearing something short and slutty but I said you where to mature for that crap- and guess what? I was right!" He said and I laughed.

" Really? Damon thought that?"

" Yeah, your _boyfriend _doesn't know you that well I guess." I laughed.

" Well he was just saying what he was wishing I think- or more like hope." Stefan chuckled and I looked out at the dance floor. There where a lot of people there. That was strange. Mystic Falls had always struck me like the non-partying town and yet here was a club packed with people. " Wow it's crowded in here." I stated and Stefan nodded.

" Yeah it's probably because the weekend has started." I nodded absently.

" What day is it?"

" Friday. Why?"

" Just curious. Now let's dance!" I said and dragged him through the crowd.

* * *

**_A/N: So, what do you guys think? The next chapter will probably just be Stefan and Dani at the club with a little twist. I hope you'll review because as I said, it will be my B-day tomorrow and I would like an awesome "present" from you guys ;)_**

**_Have a great day!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N: Thank you! =D Thank you to all of you who wished me a happy b-day and reviewed the last chapter! :D I love you guys! Seriously! Wow! :D_**

**_So I decided to update today because I felt like you had waited enough. In this chapter you see another side of Dani (I think. It depends on how you see stuff). Something happens, some action I guess. =) I really hope you'll like it though. Let's just put it this way: Dani and Stefan in a club. Dani dances with someone and loses control! =D=D_**

**_Okay so please enjoy the chapter!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with the Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle! =)_**

* * *

The music began to get louder and louder the closer we got to the middle of the dance floor. I laughed when Stefan bumped into a couple of girls who gave him angry, but then suggesting looks. He kept telling them he was in a committed relationship and they kept saying "Then why did you come here?". I began to dance with my hands up in the air and noticed a couple of guys turning my way. A certain blond guy caught my eye for less then a second and I felt my throat beginning to burn slightly. Why was I hungry? I stopped dancing for a second and sniffed. Stefan stopped moving as well and looked at me.

" Dani?" He asked as I looked past him at the blond guy who was now standing up and walking out through the back door.

" Stefan, do you smell that?" I asked and watched him as he sniffed. He shrugged.

" I don't smell anything. Do you?" I nodded and grabbed his hand.

" Come on." I said through the loud music. " We need to catch up with-"

" Come on Dani, let's not go looking for trouble tonight. You where the one who wanted to have fun! So let's have fun then!" I couldn't help but crack a smile.

" Alright." I said. _Just because I wont go looking for trouble right now, I might want to do it later._

"_You were a problem child  
Been grounded your whole life  
So now you run wild  
Play with them good girls  
Though that ain't your style  
You take your hot shit  
Ooh, I love it, I love it  
Yeah, yeah_" Stefan twirled me around as I laughed out loud. Some guys where getting closer to me as they watched me move to the music. _'Man I love this song' _I thought as one guy put his hands on my hips, making the first move. I turned around and smirked at him. He grinned back, happy that I hadn't removed his hands. He and I danced together for a while, while his friends looked at us filled with envy. Stefan wasn't dancing anymore. He had gone to sit down. '_Party-pooper'_. I then grabbed the guys hand and began to lead him towards the back of the room. I noticed that Stefan looked at me, as if I was going crazy but I ignored him and the guy was smirking as I pushed him against the wall.

" You're a little eager." He laughed and I nodded. I couldn't help it. It was like watching myself making a mistake and not being able to stop myself. I put my lips on his neck and he caressed my back and then he froze. Why you might think? Because, I had just put my teeth in him, literally.

His blood was warm as if passed in my throat. I pulled away for a second and gulped and then went back to him. He didn't move. I didn't know how it worked but in my mind I was telling him not to be afraid and not to react and he seemed to be hearing me. I could feel him losing his blood. I wanted to stop. I did. But I couldn't. Not until I felt someone pull me away. I hissed at the person as I turned around only to face Stefan.

" Danielle?" He yelled at me. " What the hell do you think you're doing?" I looked at the guy, who had dropped to the floor unconscious. I put a hand to my mouth.

" Oh God." I said, feeling disgusted with myself. " What have I done?" Stefan grabbed my hand and picked the guy up looking around. No one had noticed us. He led me towards the back door and we exited the club, getting into a dark alley instead.

Stefan put the guy down on the ground and examined his wounds.

" I'm so sorry Stefan. I don't know what happened." I said and he just ignored me. " Stefan talk to me!" I yelled in sudden rage surprising even myself. Stefan looked up at me confused.

" What is going on Dani?" He asked and I just glared at the guy that was unconscious. I felt how I wanted to drink his blood again. I needed to drown every single drop of blood from his body. Stefan noticed my look and he covered up the wound making me snap back into reality.

" I don't know Stefan. I just-" I stopped for a second and wiped away the blood from my face. " -feel like something is wrong." In that second I heard something snap and my eyes went wide as I turned around and caught the object coming towards me. Stefan turned around as well, but a bit slower than me because I already had the person who had shot at us in a tight grip. I recognized him immediately.

" It's not very nice to go shooting stakes at vampires Jonathan Gilbert." I whispered in his ear and he tried to swallow some air. My grip around his throat only tightened. " What are you doing here?" I hissed. " Did you follow us?" Stefan was at my side.

" Dani let him go." He said but I couldn't for some reason. My blood was boiling and I was feeling a new kind of energy flow in my body.

" H-Have you told them?" John's question made me look into his blue eyes. _What is he talking about? _Stefan removed my hand from John's throat and he dropped to the ground laughing.

" Have I told who what John?" I asked him, trying to calm myself. Once again he laughed.

" About you mother?" I froze. Stefan looked between us. I didn't speak. I just backed away from him slowly.

" How do you-"

" I know a lot of things _Dani._" I bared my fangs at him.

" There is no way you could have found out about _that._" Stefan looked at confused as ever but he didn't speak. " Go back to the guy Stefan. Help him clean up, he's awake." I ordered and Stefan was just about to tell me that he wasn't awake when he heard a grunting sound and the guys sat up looking confused. Stefan as at his side and began compelling him.

" You are sick." John said and spit at my feet. " You shouldn't exist. It's not normal." I looked at my heels. He had spit right at them. In less than one second he was laying down on the ground with one of my heels on his chest, gasping.

" Little Johnny." I said, mocking him. " You just spit on my favorite shoes." He looked at them and I smirked. " You better clean up your own mess, or else I wont give you your toy back." I said and waved the stake in his face. He lifted his arm and drew with his sleeve on my shoe, cleaning it. I smiled gratefully. " Now I want you to answer me. How do you know about my mother?" Once again John laughed, pissing me off.

" I met a man once."

" I'm happy for you." John glared at me. " Oh right, sorry continue." I pretended to be sorry for interrupting.

" His name was _William._" My entire world crashed.

The only sound that was heard was the guy that was rising to his feet and waiting for further instructions. I removed my foot from John's chest and once again backed away.

" You're lying." I said, my eyes wide.

" He said you would react like that." The knot in my stomach was getting bigger.

" When did you see him? Where? TELL ME!" I yelled. Stefan put a hand on my shoulder.

" Danielle." He said calmly. " Don't fall for it-" I gave him a look and he stopped speaking.

" Tell me John. Where did you meet William?" John sat up and chuckled darkly.

" A fiew days ago when I was in Georgia. He had a very interesting way of approach." I rolled my eyes. _Of course he had. _" I had heard about people that had been drowned from blood in Georgia so I went there to investigate. Soon I found a vampire, which actually spoke with me and he said some things that had me intrigued." I didn't speak and neither did Stefan, so John continued. " He said some interesting things about a certain Miss Danielle Brown and I immediately knew it was you he was talking about." I looked away.

" I don't want to hear any more. I know what he told you, now the question is: Did you tell him where I was?" John was quiet. " Oh so now you choose to shut up?" I said sarcastically.

" No." He whispered. I raised an eyebrow.

" You had the chance to tell him where I was and you didn't?" I was confused. Hadn't Damon told me that John was the bad guy? Well, he was since he had tried to kill me just a fiew minutes ago.

" I didn't tell him because that would only make him come here and then the town would be filled with vampires." He said justifying his actions. I stared at him in shock.

" Well, I guess I have to say thank you then John." He glared at me disgusted.

" I don't need your thank you. I told him I had seen you in Chicago. He said something about old memories and then killed me." I stared at John.

" He killed you?" I was confused again.

" I can explain that later Danielle." Stefan said and I looked at him. I had forgotten about him completely. I nodded slowly and turned back to John.

" What did you do when you saw us enter the club?" I asked and now it was Stefan's turn to look confused.

" What are you talking about Dani?" He asked me and I pointed at John.

" I saw him, or rather his hair, and then I felt an intriguing smell. I felt like I could kill every last person in the club. Didn't you sense it?" I asked him and he shook his head. Surprise surprise, John laughed.

" Why where you able to hear how I pulled the trigger and shot a stake at you? How come you reacted so fast and where able to catch it and then capture me?" He asked amused. I looked at him confused. "It's because of your family Danielle." He told me. " You obviously know about your mother, so then it should make sense." I looked at him as if he was crazy.

" Go home John." I told him and turned around. He stood up and brushed his jeans.

" You're just going to let me go Danielle?" He asked and I turned around.

" No." I once again had him by the throat. " You have been valuable to me John. You told me something I hadn't known before. Now, I'll let you go but this is the last time I'll be this nice to you." His eyes were wide. " You either leave town completely and get lost, or you'll just leave me and my family alone. If you ever touch them I wont be so forgiving next time." I looked at his neck.

" I drink vervain every day." He told me and now it was my turn to chuckle.

" It doesn't effect me anymore John." He looked confused at me. " I guess William forgot to mention that." I let go of him and walked over to Stefan. " Goodnight John." I said and walked over to the guy I had drunk blood from. He looked at me. " What's your name?" I asked him kindly.

" Ben." he told me and I smiled.

" You'll forget about me Ben. You'll forget everything about me, that you ever saw me, that I ever drank your blood. You'll forget vampires exist." He nodded.

" I'll forget." He repeated after me.

" And if your friends ask. You tell them you danced with another girl but that you became sick and went home." Once again he nodded.

" I got sick."

" Now go home and rest. And cover the wound with a turtleneck or something." He nodded and got up and left. I turned to Stefan. " I don't feel like dancing anymore."

_**(Later)**_

Stefan didn't speak. I knew he was mad. I could feel it.

" I'm sorry." I swallowed a lot of pride to say that. He only glanced at me.

" You don't have to be." He said. " Something happened Danielle and I want to know." I looked out the window.

" I don't know. I was just dancing with the guy, when something came over me. It wasn't hunger. It was something else. I just can't explain it." Stefan nodded not pushing the matter further. We sat in silence. " Can we please not tell Damon about tonight? I don't want him to worry." Stefan chuckled.

" Damon worry?" He laughed a little and made me laugh to. " But you're probably right. You've already made him _like _someone. We have no idea how he might react to what happened tonight." I laughed.

" Yeah." Stefan stopped the car outside the house but left the engine running. Probably because he knew Damon could hear us otherwise.

" Dani, despite of everything that happened tonight I had a good time." He told me seriously. " I don't know if you know this but I lost my best friend once-" My mind flashed to Damon telling me the story. "-but I think I've finally found a new one." I smiled at him.

" You're my best friend too Stefan." I said and leaned in and kissed his cheek. " And thank you for not telling Damon."

" Yeah, let's get inside now before he suspects something is up." I nodded and got out of the car after checking that I didn't have any blood on me. Stefan did the same thing and then we walked inside.

Damon was sitting on the couch, _pretending _to be reading a book. How I knew? He was reading Romeo and Juliet. I knew it wasn't his type of book and besides, it was up side down.

" Oh, you're home." He said and put the book down. He looked at me with his incredibly blue eyes and smiled slightly. " Anything interesting happen?" Stefan and I looked at each other and smiled. I turned back to Damon and walked over and sat down next to him.

" Nope, it was actually a pretty boring evening. Nothing special happened." I said and Damon smirked, wrapping his arm around me.

" I told you it would have been more fun staying home then going out with Stefan."

* * *

**_A/N: So I figured, now you either hate me or love me. Like I said it all depends on how you like the chapter. so what did you think? Do you think it's to complicated? Something obviously is affecting Dani and it obviously has to do with her family. =) What do you think it is? Tell me what you think! _**

**_In the next chapter Dani and Damon have their little "date" and there will be some flashbacks from when Dani was captured. =) There! That is the only clue you get! Now go and review if you want the chapter sooner! :D_**

xoxo

Spicy


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: Hi everyone! I know it was a while ago, but there has been a lot going on in my life right now. My mom is sick and she's in the hospital for instance =(. I have a lot of things in school too but I figured that if you are willing to wait on the chapter so long without complaining I might as well give it to you now. And it's LONGER than usually too! So I guess that's a plus =)_**

**_There is a lot of information about Dani in this chappie. Some flashbacks that are continuations from some previous ones. =) Hope you enjoy!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with the Vampire Diaries. I just own Dani._**

* * *

I was woken up early in the morning today. No, I wasn't in Damon's room. I hadn't given in yesterday after Stefan and I had gotten home. I knew that if I gave in, I would have told him what happened. For some reason it felt like I couldn't keep secrets from him.

Damon had gone to bed a little mad at me but now he was in my room and kissing me to wake up. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. I was still in bed with the cover over me and he was laying next to me. His lips seemed softer this morning or maybe that was just my imagination.

" I really really hate you for waking me so early." I muttered against his lips and he smirked at me.

" I bet you love that I didn't set a wake up clock in your room." He claimed my lips once more and got up pulling the cover away from me.

" If you weren't my boyfriend I would probably have killed you for waking me up." I said and sat up. Damon shuddered. " What?" I asked him and laughed slightly.

" Nothing. Not used to the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing yet." He said and I threw a pillow at him.

" Jerk." I got up from the bed and walked over to my closet. " What should I wear for our- uhm, what did you call it again?" I asked turning around.

" Sappy romantic boy- and girlfriend date kind of thing." He told me and I nodded.

" Right."

" Wear something that you can hike in."

" Are we going hiking?" I asked and he shook his head.

" Nope. We might get dirty though." I chuckled at his remark and he raised an eyebrow at me.

" Oh I'd love to get dirty with you Damon," I said and he smirked. "-but I don't have time for your games. We have something important to talk about today."

" Oh really?" he asked me and I nodded.

" Yeah really."

" About what?"

" Me... And my family." I bit my lip when I added the last part. He got up from the bed and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my neck.

" I'll leave you so that you can get ready. We'll leave soon." he said and I turned my head and kissed him on the lips one last time before he left. _He needs to know._

Damon being his stupid self decided not to tell me where exactly we were going. I had tried pretty much everything and that included, hugging, kissing him- threatening _never _to kiss him again. But nothing worked. He was as silent as a mouse, so being a little out of character, I gave up.

He stopped the car somewhere outside of town. I had never been here before but I knew for sure that we were outside the Mystic Falls area. He walked around and opened the door for me.

" Oh, being a gentlemen now I see?" I mocked him and he smirked.

" Only the best for my lady." I sneered at him.

" Your _lady_? I think I'm anything but a lady. I'm more of a-"

" -badass, incredibly hot, headstrong, unbelievable, hot, vampire chick?" He suggested and I smiled amused.

" You said hot twice you know." I pointed out and he nodded.

" You bet I did."

He led me towards a small clearing where he put a blanket on the ground under a tree and then put up the rest of the things he brought. I was amused at seeing Damon working so hard to make everything perfect for just the two of us. He really could be sweet sometimes but that wasn't the reason I loved him. Yes, I said loved and I couldn't believe it myself. I didn't want to pressure Damon into saying something he didn't mean. I looked at him as he sat down and patted the seat next to him. I smiled and sat down leaning my head on his shoulder.

" You sure are something special Damon- Don't get all high and mighty now because I admitted it!" I added upon seeing his smug face. It quickly disappeared and instead he smiled and looked down at me. He put his hand to my cheek and brought down his lips to mine. He kissed me softly but passionately, I knew that he wanted something. He always wanted something when he kissed me like this. I pulled away and looked at him. He had a serious look on his face, like he was thinking how to say something.

" What's wrong Damon?" I asked and took his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. He looked down at them.

" You never talk about it." He said and I looked at him confused.

" What?" I asked and our eyes met.

" The capture. The torture. William." I felt my throat go dry. I turned away. " How did you escape? I need to know these things Danielle. I _want _to know these things." He said and turned my head back to him. I sighed deeply

" Fine, I'll tell you." I said and began slowly. " That day when I left Mystic Falls I had planned on going to Washington DC. Just as I had gotten out of town I saw a black car which then slammed into mine and that made me drive off the road. I was slightly confused but somehow managed to get out of the car so that I could escape because I knew what was coming. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my side and saw that I had been shot. Soon I became dizzy and that was when I saw William. So now you know." I said quickly and then let the matter go. Damon just glared at me.

" You know I want to know the other things too." I rolled my eyes.

" Why? I've put it behind me."

" Danielle." He said sternly and gave me a look.

" Fine." I huffed. " I didn't know where I was when I woke up. All I knew was that I was in a basement..." I proceeded to tell him. I knew sooner or later he would have found out. I told him about the torture and how I escaped and somehow he seemed to be in his own thoughts. At some point I wasn't even sure he was listening to me but I knew I had to get it off my chest. " Damon, say something." I said after I finished. He stayed quiet at first but then as if I light had been turned on he snapped his head up and looked into my eyes.

" Why didn't I think of this before?" He asked and I raised an eyebrow.

" Care to share?" I asked and he nodded.

" He must have let you escape." I stared blankly at him. What the hell was he talking about? Why would William have kidnapped me and then just let me go? Besides I wasn't exactly let out. I had to fight for my freedom.

" What?" I asked him and he nodded looking at me.

" He injected you with vervain right?" I nodded. " And he gave you blood to feed?" I nodded again.

" Yes, he brought me blood every other day."

" So that you could get your strength up again!" he exclaimed. " Don't you get it or am I the only one that can put two and two together?" Damon asked me and I thought about it. Maybe he was right. What if William had actually helped me escape?

" But why would he do that, professor?" I mocked Damon just because I couldn't help it. He glared at me for a second but quickly came up with an answer.

" Because he's a vampire."

" Well so are you." I stated.

" But he thinks of you as his toy- which I don't." He added thoughtfully. I was as confused as ever.

" What the hell are you talking about Damon?" He pointed at me.

" He loves you. He wanted to be with you, but after you refused to he wanted to make your life miserable. He enjoys the hunt. He wants you to be paranoid so that you'll never be able to settle down. He wants you to be afraid because it gives him power over you. He wants you to run away, to escape, because then he can look for you and after he finds you he just enjoys torturing you because you torture him everyday because he can't be with you." _Wow._ Damon had really connected the dots here. Why didn't I think of this before?

" I didn't know you where so smart..." I mumbled. Then I remembered one detail I had never told Damon or anyone else. The one thing that I yesterday had found out that John Gilbert somehow had know. The reason why I had come out here in the first place to talk with Damon. " But I haven't told you one thing." I said and Damon's eyes pierced through me. " I need to tell you." I said and he nodded slowly, making himself comfortable to listen to yet another story of mine. I sighed and began slowly...

" It happened this last time I was captured. William had been torturing me for weeks and I had almost become completely immune towards vervain. I had just confronted him about why he wanted to force me into marrying him when he slipped up and mentioned my mother..."

_Flashback_

" _You look just like your mother." He said in a low voice and my head snapped up._

" _What are you saying?" I said and he chuckled darkly._

" _Your mother. She was one of the most beautiful young women when she was your age. She was still beautiful when she married you father but still. I had been eying her for a long time. That was when I found out what she was..." He trailed off and I looked at him with wide eyes._

" _You knew my mother?" I asked him confused as he stood up walking towards me. He grabbed my throat roughly and smiled at me as I had trouble breathing._

" _I knew your mother." He blew out the cigarette smoke in my face and backed away and sat down on his chair again as he watched me. _

" _How could you have known her? You moved to our village sometime during that summer." I said to him and he chuckled._

" _You mean, moved back. I had been there before, when your mother was young. Before she married your dad." He put out his cigaret and lit another one._

" _Tell me!" I demanded and he chuckled darkly, his eyes glistening of excitement._

" _I met her and fell in love with her. I was still a young vampire back then. **Stupid **to say so. Your mother had found out what I was and threatened me when I had found out what she was..." I stared at him darkly._

" _What do you mean?" This was probably the first time I wasn't snappy towards him or threatening to kill him when I got out. _

" _Your mother was different than any other girl I had met. Something about her drew men towards her. She was very different it turned out."_

_I tried putting two and two together but I couldn't. It just got more and more confusing with every word he said. " Why do you think she believed you and was so understanding after I turned you?" He asked me mocking me._

" _She had known you were a vamp-"_

" _Yes. Because she was a-?" he stopped, trying to make me figure it out._

"_-witch." I mumbled. He applauded loudly._

" _You're smarter then I thought Dani." he laughed excited. " Yes, your mother was a witch and I found out about it and she made me leave because she didn't want me near her." William voice was changing. Something was wrong. " She used her powers on me. That was why I left. Your mother was a powerful witch and that if probably why you too were different when I first saw you." I laughed sarcastically._

" _So what you're saying is that I'm part witch? That's ridiculous!" I exclaimed. It really was ridiculous but all he did was watch me._

" _How come you can feel if something is wrong Danielle?" He asked me and I stared at him. _

" _I'm a vampire thanks to you William. It's called instinct among us." I said and he growled at me._

" _Fine I'll give you that one but how about the way you sometimes can read humans minds huh? What about that? I bet you haven't told anyone about that."_

" _How would you-"_

" _-know about it? So it's true then?" I sighed looking down._

" _It only happens sometimes. Like after I drink a lot of blood or feed on an actual human." I said quietly._

" _And how about your amazing blood control after you where changed?" He pressed on._

" _Fine!" I snapped. " I get it! You think my mother was a witch! You think I'm part witch, which makes you more and more intrigued of me! You think I tricked you into loving me just like my witch mother did! But I didn't okay! I didn't! I never loved you! You compelled me and I know it! I know that now because I too have used compulsion on people! You don't love me William! I was just your toy! You wanted to break me because my mother broke you! Admit it! Admit it you damn bastard!" I yelled not realizing that my eyes were wet. William looked at me amused._

" _That's another thing," he said. " compulsion didn't work on you."_

_End of Flashback_

Now it was Damon's turn to stare at me.

" Your mom was a witch? And you can sometimes read humans minds?" I didn't nod, nor did I shake my head. I didn't react at all. I was gone. I wasn't there anymore. I knew I wasn't. I could barely hear Damon calling me back to reality. He had been right. William must have let me escape. Why else would he have given me blood? He knew it made me stronger.

" Danielle?" Damon asked. " Great, now you disappear, just what I needed." He muttered and I looked at him.

" You are right. He gave me blood so that I could escape." Damon smirked.

" I knew I was right, I just waited for you to admit it." I smacked him, hard, and he shot me a glare as I just smirked. " Didn't I tell you once before that you really need to stop hitting me?" He asked and I couldn't help but laugh.

" You're such a softy aren't you?" I asked playfully.

" No. That's Stefan's job. I'm the cool vampire that just happened to find a girl he actually cared about." I smiled at his words.

" You care about me?" He shifted slightly.

" Well I wouldn't be with you otherwise right?" I nodded. He did make sense. " So what about you?"

" What about me?" I asked him.

" Do you _care _about me?" At his words I laughed out loud. He was once again glaring at me. " You know what? I don't care. I don't want to know. Just continue with your story and tell me if it was true that your mother was a witch or not!" He snapped and I stopped laughing.

" Okay." Was all I said, afraid I would start a fight.

_Flashback (Continuation)_

"_What do you mean compulsion didn't work on me?" I had somewhat calmed down at his words. He shrugged as if it meant nothing._

" _I tried to compel you into liking me but it didn't work. That was why I followed you around. You where intriguing. That was before I figured out who you where." He snorted. " A Brown. Jack and Evangeline Browns daughter. Danielle Brown."_

" _Are you going to repeat my life history that I have been running from for all these years or are you going to tell me if my mother really was a witch or not?"_

" _She was. She confessed it to me. Didn't you listen to what I told you before?" He snapped and I snorted._

" _Sorry. Maybe the vervain is kicking in."_

" _It doesn't effect you that way and you know it."_

" _Then maybe I just find you boring." He laughed at my comment._

" _Typical Dani. Always snappy and always trying to get me off subject." He said and put out his third cigaret for the evening. " I hope you understand more about yourself now. I'll leave you for now. I'll be back tomorrow to see if you changed your mind about me." _

" _I will never change my mind about a murderer." I said calmly. He smiled wickedly. _

" _Wasn't it nice to hear how your sister thought we would elope? How I slowly tortured, then drained her of blood? How I cut into her soft skin as she begged me to stop? How she cried and cried begging me not to hurt you and begging me not to kill her-"_

" _Stop it!" I yelled and he just stole one last glance at me and left me in total darkness as images of my sister began to pop back into my head and the guilt became to strong as tears slowly trailed down my cheeks..._

_End of Flashback_

I didn't know how it happened. Damon wiped away my tears. I didn't know why I had begun to cry. I just knew I had. A moment of weakness. My weakness. My sister.

" William makes me sound like an angel." Damon muttered under his breath. He leaned in an pressed his lips against mine. " I'm sorry I made you tell me." He said, sounding like he regretted ever pushing me to retell my story.

" It's okay. You had to know." I said and he kissed me again. " I was planning on telling you anyway." This time when his lips connected with mine, I kissed back. He gently pushed me down onto the blanket and got on top of me as I laughed. " We're outside Damon. Isn't this a little kinky?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

" It just makes it more fun." He said and I didn't even protest as he began to unbutton my shirt.

_**(Later)**_

"I can't believe we just did that." I said as we got dressed again. Damon was still shirtless and I was trying not to stare as his abs, which still amazed me for some reason. " Stefan told us to behave." Damon rolled his eyes at me.

" What Stefan doesn't know, wont kill him and besides," He smirked at me buttoning his shirt. " it was great fun and Stefan is already dead." He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me and kissed my neck. " I'm sorry your half witch." He mumbled against my skin. " Now I can't hate the wicked little things as much as I used to."

" Wow Damon. Because of me you're so sweet." I said sarcastically. " Maybe we should head home? I'm tired." Damon gave me a weird look.

" Vampires don't get tired." He said thoughtfully. " Unless you're up to something." My eyes widened in a moment of weakness and he smirked at me. " Are you up to something Danielle?" I shook my head quickly.

" Nope. Not a chance. I have given up on my totally reckless image." I said smugly keeping my face straight but then broke down laughing.

" Yeah. Right?" Damon was confused.

" Sorry Damon. I just _have _to get home." I told him. " I'm not up to something. I just need to prepare." He raised and eyebrow and I helped him button his shirt.

" Prepare for what?"

" Tomorrow." I said and kissed him to stop him from asking more questions.

" What happens tomorrow?" he asked and I bit my lip.

" The real question is what _happened_." I pressed my lips against his one last time before picking up the blanket but he took it from my hands.

" I don't want you to carry anything." He said and I smiled at him.

" I think I'm capable of carrying _one _item Damon." I said and he looked at me.

" You already are." He said and I looked at him confused.

" What?"

" I think it might be to soon to tell you what it is. You figure it out if you're so smart." he said and I rolled my eyes at him. Typical Damon.

" Why do you always speak in riddles?"

" I don't always speak in riddles. I think I'm being very clear." He argued back.

" No you're not. Now I wont be able to sleep because I want to know what you are talking about. Why don't you just say it?" I asked him and now he rolled his eyes at me.

" You are so dramatic Dani." he told me and I snorted.

" Oh really?" He just walked away from me and I had to run after him. " Are you seriously not going to tell me what you meant?" I asked him once we got to the car and he looked at me with a mysterious face.

" I am _seriously _not going to tell you what I meant." He said and just kissed me on the lips.

" You're mean." I stated and sat down in the passenger seat.

" That is why you like me, isn't it?" he said and started the car. I glared at him and huffed angrily.

" I'm over 200 years old Damon. I'm tired of games."

" About that, how old exactly?" He said and raised his eyebrows playfully.

" You did not just go there." I muttered and he smirked.

" But I did."

" 245." I snapped. " That's how old I am. If you count my human years too. Are you happy?" He looked at me curiously.

" Why are you so mad Dani?" He asked me and I glared.

" Because I'm not proud of my age." Our eyes locked and I could tell he was searching for more. I cleared my throat and nodded to the road. " Maybe we should just go home. " With that he stepped on the gas pedal and sped off.

We didn't speak much when we got home. Stefan had just looked at us and I knew he could tell that something had happened. I immediately went to Damon's cabinet and took out a fiew bottles of scotch and other beverages. Damon and Stefan were sitting and staring at me, but they didn't speak.

" I need this." Was all I said. I was running up and down the stairs, putting the bottles in my room. Sometime during all the running tears had begun to sprung from my eyes. Stefan and Damon still said nothing. I took the last bottle and looked at them. " Don't wake me up tomorrow." I said and all they did was nod. " Good Night." And then I ran up to my room and locked the door behind me. I leaned my back against it and slowly slid down it, not being able to hold back the sobs that had been building during the last hours. I knew Damon was probably mad at me for snapping at him, but it was better this way. Then he wouldn't bother me in the morning and he wouldn't be there when I broke down completely. I looked at the bottle och whiskey in my hand and opened it. I sniffed the tip of the bottle and then began to slowly drink...

* * *

**_A/N: There are obviously some issues that have to be solved here... Some news about the next chapter though: It will begin with a No point of view thing with Damon! Yay! I really hope you like the story! If you do, tell me in a review and also answer this question:_**

**_Which flashback in both the first story and this one, do you like the best? Is there some flashback that you would like me to write more on? Do you want to know anything else about Dani while I'm at it?_**

**_Well the next chapter will include some other flashbacks too. All the way back to after Rebecca's funeral..._**

**_That's all for now!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	14. Chapter 14

**_A/N: Hi everyone! =) I know it's been a fiew days since I updated and I wanted to say I'm sorry. I've just had a lot to do, with school and personal business as well. My mom's in the hospital and she is going to have some surgery and I don't know what to do anymore really... I just feel like my best friend is missing..._****_Ah well, what can I do right? All I have to do is be there for her and support her if she needs it. _**

**_So back to this chapter now =) I know it might be a little weird. Okay it's MAJORLY weird. I just kind of needed you all to know what pain Danielle has really been through and that's a lot. Can you imagine living over 200 years, thinking about how it's your fault that your sister was murdered? Well, now youäll find out just how crazy things got for her._**

**_Oh BTW, that means by the way (see what I did there? ;)), this chapter has a fiew No point of view parts. Make sure so you don't mix them up, but I'm sure i eperated them good enough._**

**_Now finally enjoy!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with TVD. I just own Danielle and William._**

* * *

_**(No Point Of View)**_

That night Damon didn't sleep much. He was tossing and turning in his bed all night, just like he had the night before. He looked up at the ceiling. '_What is going on with me?' _he thought to himself. He had never acted like this. He didn't care about people. He never cared about anyone but himself. Well and Katherine, and maybe Elena too. He sighed deeply and turned his head towards the window. Who was he kidding, of course he cared about people. Sometimes. He couldn't help but be mad at Danielle for acting the way she did yesterday. If he was her boyfriend, he had some right to know what she had been talking about when she talked about preparing for the coming day. He had almost messed up yesterday when he almost told her something he didn't know if she was ready for. He wasn't even sure he was ready for it. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. He stared at his drawer. He just needed one more look at it. He slowly opened the drawer and pulled out the small box. He wanted to open it and look at it one more time, but instead he just shook his head and put it back into the drawer and locked it once more, like he had done several times during the previous year and then he sat there. For hours, until the sun came up and he could no longer sit. He got up and got dressed and walked down the stairs to find Stefan and Elena sitting together talking in the kitchen. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a blood bag. He poured himself a glass and then opened his emergency cabinet, pulling out some scotch and pouring some of that into the blood as well.

" Do you mind?" Elena asked, sounding disgusted as she pointed to her own plate of real food. He rolled his eyes and took a sip.

" I love the taste of a drunk in the morning." He mocked and Elena pushed her plate away.

" And there goes my breakfast." She said crossing her arms. Stefan didn't really know what to do so he just didn't speak at all.

" Has Dani been up yet?" Damon asked and took another sip. Stefan shook his head.

" No." Damon drowned his glass and stared at them. " Damon, I'm worried about her." Stefan said and Damon rolled his eyes at him.

" Of course you are dear brother." he said and faked a smile.

" Stefan and I have been talking all morning Damon." Elena said and he snapped his head in her direction.

" What's your conclusion then Ms. I-need-to-know-everything." He said putting the glass down on the table and filling it with scotch again.

" What happened yesterday?" She asked gently. " Damon. We need to know."

" Why?" He snapped at her and she jumped slightly.

" Because when I passed her room when I woke up, I heard crying and sobbing." Stefan said.

" And I heard a bottle smash against the door when I wanted to speak with her." Elena put in.

" She told us to leave her alone today." Damon said as if it was obvious. " Then maybe you two should just leave her alone, like I will." He drowned the glass and then put it down in the sink.

" Don't you care about her Damon?" Elena said looking him right in the eyes. " Because if you did, you would have reacted no matter what she told you yesterday."

" What do you want me to say Elena?" He asked her. " That I want to help her get through whatever it is she has to go through? Yes. Of course I want that. I want to help her kill that bastard who killed her sister and has spent over two centuries trying to make her life miserable. Yeah, you might not have known about this but she was captured and tortured again when she left and she found out that he knew her mother too. So why don't you just mind your own freaking buisness Elena!" She looked at him startled.

" William knew her mom?"

" From everything I said you only picked that up?" Damon asked her and she blushed slightly.

" I'm sorry Damon. You obviously care about her more then you let on."

" What do you mean?" He asked her confused. Stefan snorted.

" I thought you where the one who put two and two together." Damon glared at him.

" I am."

" Then why don't you just tell us the truth." Still nothing. " Do you, you know?" Stefan motioned something with his hands and Damon was as confused as before.

" Why don't you just say what's on your mind little brother."

" Do you love her?" Elena blurted out as Damon froze. For the first time, in a long long time, he was speechless.

* * *

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

" _Stop playing around with me young lady!" _

" _I am not father!" I yelled back at him. _

" _You have to marry William. If you do not marry him, you disgrace this family!" I could feel the anger burning inside of me. Or was it just the thirst? I held my throat and tried to make it calm down._

" _Please, I do not love him." I cried, tears beginning to fall down my eyes. My fathers expression softened and he put his hand on my cheek._

" _Danielle, I truly am sorry, but sometimes you have to do what is best for your family. Believe me when I tell you that you will learn how to love William. Do if for me, for your mother and most importantly, for your sister." I snapped my head up._

" _I am telling you that she was murdered-"_

" _Danielle for the last time, she was attacked by a wolf. She was the innocent victim of a dangerous animal." I shook my head and he pointed to the door. " Leave and go to your room. Tomorrow William will be here so that we can talk about the wedding arrangements." I grabbed ran out of the room towards the piano room where I knew my mother would be. _

" _Mother?" I whispered as I entered. I heard the playing stop abruptly. _

" _Danielle?" her soft voice soothed me more then she could imagine. " Come in dear." She said and walked over to her. " What is the matter?" She asked me._

" _I have done something terrible mother." I said, trying not to sob. She stood up and walked over to me. She took my hand and her eyes widened. _

" _What has happened to you Danielle?" She asked me._

" _I am a monster." I said a tear falling down my cheek. And then I told her. About everything. I told her the truth about William and Rebecca. And I told her of what I had become. She listened to me. She wasn't surprised either. _

" _I knew there was something wrong with William the first time I laid eyes on him." She said thoughtfully. " You have to go Danielle." She told me. " Or he will never stop. He will murder everyone you know unless you marry him. Never give up Dani. Never stop running..."_

I gasped for air when I woke up. With wide eyes I searched for the stake I had under my pillow and looked around frantically.

" Where are you?" I asked and turned on the light. I stared at the door waiting for him to come in, then I remembered.

He wasn't here.

William wasn't here.

I left out a breath and looked down at the floor. There were bottles of wine and scotch everywhere. A fiew shattered ones as well. I ran my fingers through my hair. A tear rolled down my face. 226. That was the number. 226 years. That many years had passed since I was turned and my sister was murdered. Rebecca.

" _Rebecca!" I laughed as she ran towards the lake. " Stop mama does not want us to get dirty before dinner." She turned around and looked at me with her dark brown eyes._

" _Come on Dani. It will just be fun. We can see if there is any fish in the lake." I still hesitated._

" _But papa said that we are to young to got fishing alone." Rebecca chuckled at my remark._

" _I am ten years old and you are nine Dani. We are big enough." She offered me her hand and I looked at it. I looked up at her and she smiled. I smiled back and took her hand. " There is nothing to be afraid of Dani. Not when you have me here to protect you..."_

That day I had made a mistake. We never should have gone down to the lake. I fell in and almost drowned. My father had been furious, but my mom only said it was because he had been scared for our lives.

I laughed to myself and wiped the tears away. I stumbled across the floor, towards the window. I pulled the curtains away and stared at the sun as it's light filled the room. Then I looked down at my ring...

* * *

_**(No Point of View)**_

Meanwhile Damon, Elena and Stefan were down in the kitchen still talking about Dani.

" Well? Do you?" Elena pushed and Damon glared at her.

" What did I tell you about minding your own damn buisness?" Damon asked her sarcastically and her lips turned up slightly. As did Stefan's.

" So you do then?" Damon glared at them both and shrugged.

" I care about her. That's for sure." He said as if it didn't matter.

" But do you love her?" Stefan repeated what Elena had said. Damon stared blankly at them. Who were they to judge his feelings for Danielle? I shook his head and rolled his eyes at them.

" I'm going to check on her." Was all he said and then he walked away. Stefan turned towards Elena and she smiled knowingly.

" He's just scared to admit it." She told her boyfriend and Stefan shrugged.

" He will. In time. When he's ready." Elena chuckled at his words.

" Time is all they have."

Damon walked towards Danielle's room and slowly leaned his head against the door. He heard laughing.

" _Rebecca..._" Danielle's voice was different. He had never heard her like that. He slowly knocked on the door. No answer came but the laughter continued. Then after a minute it stopped. He slowly turned the handle and noticed for the first time that day that the door was unlocked. He opened it slowly and saw that the light was on in the room but the curtains were also pulled back so that the sunlight could come in. After locking the door he slowly walked around her when he saw her standing by the window. She was holding something. Her own hand- no. She was fiddling with her ring.

" Danielle." He said slowly, looking around and noticing the bottles everywhere and the broken glass on the floor. " Danielle?" He said again and she turned around. Her face was tear streaked and he stared at her. She smiled sadly at him.

" Didn't I tell you to stay away today?" She asked. Her voice was hoarse.

" What's going on here Danielle?" He pressed on and she shrugged looking back out the window.

" Look at it." Was all she said. He walked closer and looked at what she was looking at. " It shines there every day. So beautiful. Perfect." She continued. He couldn't help but feel a little worried about her. Something was definitively wrong here.

" No one is perfect Dani. Even the sun has spots." He told her and she looked at him.

" You're right. I'm not perfect either."

" What are you talking about?" He asked her trying to take her hand but she pulled away.

" Do you know how many times I've stood here? In this position I mean. Between life and death. Do you Damon?" She snapped at him. " 226 years. 226 times. Always the same day. Always the same time. The mornings." He was still clueless to what she was talking about.

" Danielle..." he didn't know what to say or do. He wasn't good with emotions and certainly not when it came to women crying in front of him.

" What date is it?" She asked him in a low voice.

" June 13th." He told her and she slowly nodded.

" June 13th." she repeated after him. " Exactly 226 years since I was changed. Exactly 226 years since my sister was murdered. On this day." Now he finally understood. This was all about memories. Her memories of her sister.

" Is that why you've locked yourself inside your room and become a complete lunatic?" He asked her sarcastically. Maybe he should have rephrased the question. In less then a second Dani had thrown him onto the bed and pinned him down.

" I do this every year Damon. Every single June 13th for 226 years I have been doing this. And every single June 13th I think about how easy it would be to just end my suffering once and for all." She got off of him and walked towards the window again. She turned to him and showed him her ring. " All I have to do is remove it and everything will be over." He was quickly by her side again.

" Don't be stupid Danielle. You would never want to die." He snapped at her getting angrier by the minute. Why was she suddenly suicidal?

" You don't understand it Damon!" She yelled at him and began to hit him. He slowly reached for her hands and caught them. She struggled but he knew she had no strength left after all the drinking. She slowly began to sob into his shoulder and he held her close to him. " It was my fault... My fault..." She repeated it several times and he kept shaking his head. He slowly pulled away and grabbed both of her cheeks and pressed his lips against hers. He could feel her tears on his lips but tried his best to ignore them. They pulled apart.

" It was not your fault. You had no idea what William was. He used you. He used Rebecca. He did all he could just to make your life miserable. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault."

* * *

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

Maybe Damon was right. Maybe he wasn't. Anyway the guilt was too much to live with. Everything I had told Damon so far was true. How I thought about dying. It was an easy exit. The easiest way to get rid of William. The easiest way to see my family again.

" I don't want to hear you say that it's your fault ever again. Do you understand me? And I want you to stop this crazy tradition or whatever it is and stop getting drunk on June 13th. You need to honor your sisters memory. She loved you and you loved her. You will get revenge for her death and everything else William ever put you through Danielle. I'll make sure of that." Damon's words really got to me. It was something about him that just calmed me down. I turned around and looked outside again. At the sun. Then I looked at my ring. Maybe, just maybe, this could be a turning point. I reached for the curtains again and pulled them down. I turned around and looked at Damon. Slowly I walked over to him and put my arms around him. He didn't hesitate at all. He just hugged me back. I put my hand on his cheek and pulled him down to my lips. Slowly, very slowly, he lifted me up and carried me to the bed. He put me down and looked at me. Really looked at me. Not with lust. Not like I was another one of his conquests. But with love.

An hour later I was cuddled up against his chest. He was playing with my hair and I was slowly listening to his breathing. I intertwined our hands and he squeezed mine as a guarantee.

" I promise that all this with William will be over some day Danielle. And I will be there every single step you take and I will help you." He said and kissed my hand. I smiled gratefully at him.

" Thank you Damon." I said and pulled my head up so that I could kiss him again.

Maybe I should have told him then. Maybe that had been the right time. All I knew was that he had helped me through a lot during the two years I had known him. All I knew was that during these two years I had gone from hating him, to loving him. I gulped slowly and looked at him again as I saw him close his eyes.

_I love you, _I thought and then I fell asleep knowing that he had been right about everything and that he would always be there for me...

* * *

**_A/N: So what did you think? =) Danielle has finally realized that she LOVES Damon =) What do you think about that huh? Oh and it might take a while for me to update again because of my mom and stuff. I don't have time to write either but I try as hard as I can. Hope you appriciate it =)_**

**_I would really love some reviews ;) Thank you for reading!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**

**_*HINT!*_**

**_P.S. A little hint for the future since I wont be updating so quick: " When the wedding comes near, so does her fear." Figure it out yet? ;) It's pretty easy you know =) Review and tell me what you think about it and I might just send out a small sneak peak or something ;) (Again if I have time!)_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: Okay so I never really expected to update ONE day after the last chapter but you really need to thank Noelle (KissWithAFishx) for that. I was PM:ing with her and suddenly got very very inspired to write and I made this chapter which was SO LONG that I had to divide it into two chapters! =O I know! It's really amazong so THANK YOU NOELLE!_**

**_Oh and I just realized something... This is chapter 15! =) That means that this story has officially passed the "barrier" of the last one! That one had only 15 chapters and this one will officially be longer than that one! Yay! *party ballons turn up from everywhere and Damon shows up and kisses me* Woops, hehe, was daydreaming there for a sec. _**

**_Anyway, I hope you'll like this and once again Thank you Noelle! xoxo_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle and William and all other OC's mentioned in this story!_**

**_Now please enjoy! =)_**

* * *

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

I never expected to sleep through an entire day. But I somehow managed to do so. I woke the next morning and turned around to see Damon looking up at the ceiling. I immediately felt guilty for what I put him trough. He must have thought I was crazy or something, but I guess if I would have seen myself, I would also have thought I was crazy. I put a hand on his cheek and he turned around to look at me.

" I'm sorry." I mumbled and he took my hand kissing it.

" Don't worry about it." He told me and I smiled slightly. " Do you want to stay in bed?" He asked me and I knew that he wouldn't mind it, but I shook my head.

" No. I've just slept through an entire day. I need to get up and clean." I said and he shook his head.

" It's all been taken care of." I raised an eyebrow and sat up looking around in my room. There wasn't a single drop of scotch on the carpet and the bottles were gone.

" You cleaned my room for me?" I asked and he shrugged.

" I usually tell people to clean up their own mess, but you are different." He said and I smiled at him. " You are my _hot _mess." He smirked and I smacked him. He chuckled and I pulled myself on top of him.

" I'm guessing you want a reward?" I asked and he tilted his head slightly.

" I'm guessing you're right." I smiled at his words and he put his head up kissing me on the lips. I pulled away and bit my lip.

" Elena's here." I stated. " I need to talk to her." I said and he nodded.  
" You do that and I'll take a shower. Then maybe we can go-"

" I feel like visiting someone." I said and he shut his mouth. " But I don't want you to come. I want you to stay and rest. You've been through a lot." He didn't protest, which came as a surprise.

" I guess I can deal with Stefan going with you." He said and I shook my head.

" I don't want Stefan to come either. I need Elena to come with me. I have some buisness to get done and I guess she is the only one who can-"

" Elena? You want Elena to come with you?" Damon asked. He had that look on his face. " You really are crazy." He mumbled and I laughed.

" No, but I just want Elena to come and give me company. I know that if you come, you'll do it too well, if you know what I mean." He smirked so I knew he knew what I meant. " And Stefan is still worried about me. I can feel it. I don't want the 20 questions on why I acted the way I did yesterday. So that leaves Elena." I said and a smile began to grow on my face. " Or Tyler Lockwood." I joked and Damon growled at me. " It was just a joke Damon." I told him and got off of him. It was then that I noticed I was wearing my clothes again. " How did I get dressed?" I asked him and he shrugged.

" I had time over after cleaning." He smirked at me. " I took a chance to examine you closer. I never really noticed the tattoo you have on your-" I was by his side with my hand over his mouth in less then a second.

" Shut your mouth before you say something stupid." I glared at him darkly. " If you tell anyone about that tattoo..." I trailed off as he licked my hand. " How immature can you get?" I snapped and got off the bed again.

" Sorry?" He tried still smirking. " It's great to see you back to your normal self." He stated and I just smirked.

" Fine. I forgive you." I said and walked out of the room. I heard Elena and Stefan discussing something in the living room and believe me I didn't want to intrude, but I kind of had to.

" Stefan, I'm just worried about both of them." Elena said. Stefan sighed.

" I am too Elena. But what can we do about it?"

" She threatened her Stefan! Bonnie told me." Elena said and I chose that time to show myself. They both stopped talking and turned around to see me.

" Dani?" Stefan asked concern written all over his face. " Are you alright? What happened yesterday?" He asked and I smiled slightly.

" I broke down." I said simply. " You better sit down. This is a long story..." I said and they both sat down and listened to me. After I told them about everything that had happened for the past 226 years and neither of them could speak after that. Of course I left out the part where I wanted to kill myself every single morning on June 13th. And well, the part with my mother being a witch.

" I'm so sorry Danielle." Elena said. I snapped my head up to look at her.

" What did Bonnie say?" I asked amused. Elena swallowed and I could see she got nervous. I guess she still sometimes was afraid of me. I wondered why... I was after all more like a kitten than a savage vampire killer... Or something...

" She told me about what happened between you and her." She said slowly. I had to chuckle slightly.

" Don't worry about it Elena. Empty threats, that's all it was... Or was it?" I asked myself. " I'm sorry but I can't quite remember." I smiled and Elena rolled her eyes.

" Good to see you're back to your normal self." She said and I bit my lip and looked at her. I mean really looked at her. In the eyes. Very soon she too began to smile at me. Stefan looked confused.

"_What is going on?"_

" There are some things you'll never understand about girls, Stefan." I said and walked over to Elena and hugged her. Stefan stared at me, as did Elena.

" He didn't say anything Dani." She stated and I looked at them confused.

" What are you two talking about?" I asked them just as Damon descended the stairs.

" Did you guys know Dani has a tattoo?" He asked casually and I glared at him. He smirked down at me and I rolled my eyes at him.

" You are so freaking immature Damon." I told him and he shrugged, pulling out some scotch.

" I'm guessing you told them? About yesterday and stuff?" He asked and I nodded. " And what happened with you and Bonnie? " He asked me and then turned to Elena. "I heard you from upstairs Elena, you really shouldn't raise your voice in a house full of vampires." Damon said raising his glass and drowning it completely after winking at Elena. I smirked too.

" Oh. Bonnie and I just had a little conversation." I said slowly. I let go of Elena. Damon raised an eyebrow.

" Really? About?" I knew there was no point in hiding anything. It would all just come out in the end.

" You and Stefan. Mostly." Damon looked prepared to leave it at that but Stefan still spoke.

" So it's true what she said?" He asked. " That you threatened her?" I smiled to myself.

" Yeah... I guess I might have scared her a little..." I said thinking about it. " But that doesn't mean I regret doing it." I added sternly.

" Dani, you can't just go around and-" Elena began.

" Elena don't start this fight with me, you know you'll just lose it." I told her and she nodded.

" Good point I guess." She muttered and I simply nodded.

" I actually need your help with something."

" Really?" It wasn't Elena that had asked, it was Stefan. " I thought you liked to handle things on your own." He said and I smirked.

" Well, I figured having friends wasn't such a bad idea after all." I told him and he smiled back at me as I turned to Elena. " Are you up for it?" I asked her. She hesitated and looked at Stefan for help I believe. " It's up to you Elena. This has nothing to do with vampires or humans. Your choice." She looked back at me and slowly smiled.

" Yes. I'll help." She said and I slowly began to smile.

* * *

Elena was staring at the house I stopped in front of. I took out the keys and looked at her. She turned around and looked at me.

" Do you know what you're supposed to do?" I asked and she nodded.

" Yeah. I'm supposed to keep you from hurting anyone." She said and now I nodded.

" And you're supposed to help me talk. You know I'm not good at all that stuff." I said knowing that it wasn't fully true. I could talk, but mostly with Damon.

" Yeah, yeah. Let's get this over with, shall we?" She asked and I smirked at her.

" Let's." I said and we walked out of the car. Elena was in front of me and I could already feel the energy in my body. She turned around and looked at me. " Yes I'm sure." I answered and she stared at me.

" I never asked you-" She began but shook her head. " Never mind." She turned and knocked on the door. Soon footsteps came closer and then the door opened.

" Elena." Bonnie smiled and then noticed me. Her smile dropped and her expression hardened. She was fully glaring at me now. " What are you doing here?" She asked me and I smiled slightly.

" Actually I came to talk to you about something."

" Don't expect me to invite you in." She told me coldly and I nodded.

" I wasn't expecting you to." I said and she leaned against the door.

" So? What do you want?" She asked and I looked at her.

" I just can't believe I'm doing this..." I mumbled. " First of all I wanted to give you a small apology for threatening you. But I still meant what I said." I added and she gave me a small nod. " And secondly I need your help with a power." She raised an eyebrow at me.

" What kind of power?" She asked.

" Witch power." I explained. " I need to ask you a fiew things about it." Elena looked at me.

" What?" She and Bonnie asked at the same time confused. I ran my hand through my hair.

" Okay, let me rephrase this. Me plus mind reading equals you helping me." I said and pointed at Bonnie.

" Mind reading?" She asked.

" And other things. Stefan knows nothing about it. Damon knows parts of it and I know absolutely too little about it." I explained.

" So you mean you're a witch?" Bonnie asked and I tilted my head to the side.

" Part witch. Part vampire." Then she did the unexpected. She opened the door wider and smiled slightly.

" Come in."

* * *

Sitting in Bonnie's living room feels weird. Believe me, if I had another choice I wouldn't be here right now. If I only knew another witch that is.

" I'm guessing you don't want anything to drink?" Bonnie asked and I couldn't help but comment.

" Are you offering to tap a vein?" I asked and she glared at me. " Look, I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself." Both Bonnie and Elena rolled their eyes at me.

" So Danielle," Bonnie began sitting down on the couch in front of me. " what kind of help do you need exactly?" I bit my lip. I didn't really know that either.

" Is there some way that I can control my, uhm..." I trailed off.

" Mind powers?" Bonnie asked raising an eyebrow.

" I guess you might as well call them that." I muttered. " I just have a feeling they are growing stronger and stronger every day and I just don't know how to handle them." Bonnie opened her mouth to say something but I answered her question before she had time to ask it. " I don't know. Maybe it's something about Mystic Falls that brought them out? It sort of began to show first after I returned from being captured again." I explained and both Bonnie and Elena stared at me.

" How did you know what she was going to ask?" Elena asked.

" It's her mind." Bonnie said in a low voice. " It's growing wider and wider with ever day that passes. She has begun to hear every thought of every human or creature she is near." Elena looked confused and I have to say, so was I.

" So what you're saying is that my _power _or whatever it is you call it is getting more powerful?" I asked her and she nodded.  
" I'm guessing your blood lust is getting bigger as well? You can sense the smell of a single drop of blood and it feels as if there are buckets filled with it?" I knew I was staring.

" _Yes._" I thought and Bonnie's eyes widened. "_What the hell is she staring at?_" I asked myself and she bit her lip.

" Danielle. Do you know that you just sent your thoughts flying through the room?" She asked me and I stared at Elena who looked pale.

" How could I have heard that?" She mumbled. " I'm a human, I shouldn't have been able to... Right Bon?" She asked turning to her friend and I did too.

" I really wish Grams was here. She would have known what to do." She said and I put my hand forward to Bonnie.

" Can I try something?" I asked. She stared at my hand. " It wont hurt. I promise."I added, trying to stay kind to her. For some reason I felt bad for her. Very slowly Bonnie reached forward. " Just put your fingers on mine." I said, not really knowing what I was doing. It was just something I suddenly remembered from over 200 years ago. I had seen two witches doing this and I guess it should work with Bonnie and me too if I really am half witch. I could feel the suspense building and as soon as Bonnie's fingertips brushed against mine my eyes widened.

It was as if I could see into her mind. Images. Videos. Every single thing I saw was a memory.

_She was crying when she tried to wake her grandmother, _I saw and kept looking. _They were opening the tomb. She died from exhaustion. _I searched deeper and saw her grandmother. I slowly realized that I had seen her before. Somewhere. I looked Bonnie in the eyes and saw that she had closed hers and tears were running down her cheeks.

"_Sheila._" I thought and Bonnie's eyes snapped open and she removed her hand. I stared at her and she stared at me. " Bonnie Bennett." I said loudly. " Why didn't I make the connection earlier? Sheila Bennett was your grandmother." I managed to say. It was as if someone had knocked the air out of me and I couldn't breathe after I said the words. I slowly fell back and Elena jumped to catch me looking scared.

" Dani? Oh my God! Dani!" She exclaimed and then everything turned black.

* * *

_**(Damon's Point of View)**_

I was staring the wall in the living room. What was Dani up to? I kept thinking. What if she left again? I know I'm supposed to be the total bad ass brother (which I still am) but after everything I went through last time she left, I don't ever want her to go again.

_Flashback_

_Stefan helped me inside the house and to the couch. I sat down and sighed deeply closing my eyes, but every single time I closed them, Danielle appeared in my head._

" _Where is Dani?" Stefan asked and I felt something deep inside of me break._

" _She left." I stated. Stefan looked confused and heart broken at the same time._

" _She left? Without saying good bye? I thought I was her friend." He said sadly and I looked up at him._

" _She told me to tell you she was sorry. She had no choice Stefan. She had to leave." I said, hoping that she was alright._

" _But why?" Stefan pressed on. _

" _Because William turned up." I snapped at him standing up. " She had to leave, because she didn't want us to get hurt. She didn't want him to torture us as he did to her for all the years she has lived." Stefan was for once quiet._

" _Do you care that she's gone?" He asked me and I stared slightly. I didn't know what to say. Had I just thought she was intriguing or did I actually like her? What if she didn't feel the same way? What if everything had just been a game all along, like when she first got here? " Did you care about her Damon?" Stefan asked and I looked up at him._

" _No. Not as much as you think I did." I said standing up and going to bed. " Good night brother." I mumbled and left him standing confused and alone, just like I knew I would be until Danielle returned._

_End of Flashback_

I was back in the same position now. I didn't know how much Stefan knew or how much he would ever know. Speak of the devil and he will show up.

" Hey, Damon. I can't get a hold of Elena and I'm getting worried." He said frowning. I chuckled.

" Come on Stefan. Danielle wouldn't hurt Elena. She has more control then that." I said and saw something flash in his eyes. I sat up. " Or does she?" I asked him.

" Does she?" Stefan repeated.

" You tell me. You obviously know more than I know." I said and stood up walking closer to him. He couldn't look me in the eyes. " Spill Stefan. You are obviously hiding something. Did something happen that I don't know of?" I asked and Stefan finally sighed.

" I promised I wouldn't tell." He said.

" You promised Danielle that you wouldn't tell?" I repeated and he nodded. " Now you have to tell. If you've said A you need to say B." I told him and he nodded.

" The night that Dani and I went dancing, something happened to her." Stefan said.

" Like what?" I asked curiously.

" She sort of lost control." Stefan admitted. " I've never seen anything like it. It was like all her vampire senses were three times stronger and she attacked a guy." I didn't say anything so Stefan continued. " Then after I helped the guy she attacked she looked like she was going to break down, saying she didn't know what was going on and then in less than a second she turned around caught a stake that came from nowhere and caught John Gilbert by the throat."

" She did what?" I asked.

" Yeah. John had apparently followed us trying to get to Dani, but she had sensed him before he got the chance to kill her."

" Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I asked getting angry.

" Because she told me not to. I'm her friend and I actually listen to her when she tells me to-" He stopped when his phone began to ring. He picked it up and I took it from his hand.

" Hello? Damon here." I answered.

" _Damon?_" Elena's voice was frightened.

" Is everything alright Elena?" I asked, getting worried. _Great, now I was getting worried. _

" _Damon, please get Stefan and get over to Bonnie's house. It's Dani._" She said and something twisted inside of me. I threw the phone to Stefan and he kept talking for details. He hung up and looked at me.

" We should take some blood with us." He said and I nodded as he disappeared into the kitchen. As soon as he was back, we were on our way there. _Hold on Dani. Hold on._

* * *

**_A/N: That's where I split the chapter in two ;) So what did you think?_**

**_Oh and to "Damon'sOneTruLove" I kind of promised you to have something from how Damon had to hide his feelings from Stefan and Elena when Dani wasn't in Mystic Falls and I know this wasn't that little flashback wasn't that good but I haven't fully completed my promise yet ;) There will be more! :D_**

**_So what did you think of it? What do you think will happen next? What the heck happened to Dani!_**

**_Yeah and I kind of started to like Bonnie again after watching the latest episodes of TVD so I wanted to make her and Dani somewhat "make up". Oh and I don't know about you guys but I really, REALLY like Rose... =( I think it's really sad what happened to her!_**

**_And I checked through some other reviews from older chapters and I found that someone (can't remember who) asked if I could put up a picture of Dani's new look. Well, in my head she actually looked like Rose =/ Isn't that a little weird? I began writing this story before Rose ever even was in the show! Hmm I'm thinking maybe someone read my mind or simply "compelled" me into forgetting I ever said anything to them about how Dani looks... HAH! Just kidding! Well not about the part when I actually thought Dani looked like Rose. That's just a weird coincidense (I hope)._**

**_So now, review if you wantthe continuation of this chapter and believe me you really NEED to see the outcome of this! ;)_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy _**


	16. Chapter 16

**_A/N: I'm being nice and updating this only TWO days after I updated last time! =) Mostly because I got 4 reviews which made me overjoyed but also because my mom made it through surgery and I just talked to her on the phone! Love you mama 3!_**

**_Well if we go back to this story now, I've been feeling so inspired lately and I can gladly tell you that I'm already on chapter 19 and there is MORE to come! ;) If many review on this chapter, I might but up the next one soon as well!_**

**_And btw, this chapter is really, really weird... Or that's what I think anyway. I feel like Danielle is crying a lot more and showing many, many emotions that she never used to show before. And I think I made Damon a little OOC too in this one =/ Ah well I really hope you'll like it anyway, but please be nice!_**

**_Last day of school tomorrow! Which means: MORE WRITING FOR MEEEE!_**

**_And follow me on twitter if you want to know when I'm writing and if you want to ask anything an so on ;)_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle and William and any other oc mentioned in this story, but I'm pretty damn proud of the character I've come up with. ;)_**

* * *

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

_I was floating, but it wasn't light anywhere. It was dark and the only sound that I could hear was thunder from far away._

" _Damon?" I called out in the emptiness. " Stefan? Elena! Bonnie?" I tried to call for everyone I knew, but no one appeared. I felt as if someone was watching me from behind. I turned quickly and saw a shadow move. How was that even possible? A shadow in the darkness? Once again I heard It move from behind of me. I turned and looked at nothing at all again._

" _William?" I asked, my voice low hoping I was wrong. Then I saw the shadow moving towards me. Closer and closer and I gasped when I saw who it was._

" _Rebecca?"_

_As soon as I had said her name light began to glow around her, surrounding her like some kind of halo and suddenly we weren't in the darkness anymore. We were in a clearing of some sort. Close to the lake. Close to our home. She was smiling at me slightly._

" _Danielle." She said and a tear fell down her cheek. I put my hands to my mouth, trying to stop the cries that were coming closer. " Is it really you?" She asked me and I nodded. I ran forward to her and we were now standing only a meter apart. She reached forward and gently touched my cheek. I closed my eyes when I felt that her hand was solid and then the tears began to fall as she hugged me close to her._

_**(No Point of View)**_

Elena and Bonnie had laid Danielle down on the couch while waiting for Damon and Stefan to show up. There was a knock on the door and Bonnie went to open it. Damon was first as he tried to enter but the invisible barrier stopped him.

" Invite me in." I demanded, trying to look past Bonnie. She stared at him and looked at Stefan.

" I can't." She said.

" God dammit Bonnie. You let me in or I'll pull you out and snap your neck!" Damon threatened.

" Damon calm down." Stefan said and turned to Bonnie. " At least invite me in Bonnie." He said and she slowly nodded.

" Come in Stefan." She said and Stefan entered walking over to Danielle on the couch quickly.

" You let me in Bonnie." Damon said, his voice low. " She's my girlfriend. I need to see her." Bonnie stared at him.

" She's your what?" She asked and he looked at her. For once, Bonnie noticed, he wasn't joking or just tricking her. This was real.

" My girlfriend. Let me in, please?" He said and she moved to the side.

" Come in." She said and he ran inside and to Danielle's side. He put his hand on her forehead.

" Why is she crying?" He asked. " What happened Elena?" Bonnie walked towards them and looked at Dani.

" She touched my hand to look into my mind and then I don't know what happened." She told them and now Elena was looking at her confused too.

" She looked into your mind?" She asked and Bonnie nodded.

" I've never felt anything like it. It was as if she could see right through me and I relived all my memories of Grams." She said slowly, still staring at Dani. " I actually feel sorry for treating her like she was the worst person in the world." Bonnie added thoughtfully.

" Why the sudden change of heart?" Damon asked bitterly. " Just because she's half witch?" Bonnie shook her head.

" No." She said. " It wasn't just she that went into my mind. She let me see into hers as well. Or rather she sent me every single memory of her life that she can remember." Bonnie said, trying to keep her voice from breaking.

" Was that why you were crying?" Elena realized. " Not just because of your Grams?" Bonnie nodded.

" I was over my grandmothers death a long time ago. She's at peace. When I saw into Danielle's mind though, I could feel everything she felt for the past 226 years." Damon looked away from Danielle to look at Bonnie. _Do you know how many times I've stood here? In this position I mean. Between life and death. Do you Damon? _Her voice echoed through his head. _226 years._ The number echoed. _I think about how easy it would be to just end my suffering once and for all. All I have to do is remove it and everything will be over._ The image of her putting her fingers around her ring flashed in his head.

" You saw everything." He said looking at Bonnie. She nodded.

" And I felt everything too." She added. " Everytime William hit her. Tortured her soul and body, I felt it." He turned back to Dani looking down at her.

" Wake up please." He said pressing his lips against her forehead.

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

" _They are calling for you." Rebecca told me, as we walked down the lake. " You can feel it in your heart." I nodded slowly. She was right, it felt like something was missing inside of me._

" _I don't want to leave." I told her. " Not if I can be here with you." I said and she shook her head sadly at me._

" _You don't understand Dani. They need you more than I do. I'm gone, they are not." I shook my head._

" _You're here aren't you? You look amazing like always and we are just fine together." _

" _But you need Damon." She said and my stomach was doing flip backs._

" _How do you know about Damon?" I asked her and she shrugged._

" _I swore I would watch over you." She said._

" _I'm sorry you died. It was my fault Rebecca." I said and she once again shrugged._

" _He killed you too didn't he?" She said and I looked down. She was right. I never really thought about it that way. " He didn't let you live Dani. That night after he took your blood and gave you his, he killed you too. You don't have anything to feel guilty about because this whole mess wasn't your fault." She said._

" _But I still feel guilty and I see no point in going back." I told her._

" _You need to. You feel empty without your friends with you." Rebecca smiled, showing her pearl white teeth. _

" _I said there's no point in going back." I repeated._

" _Why is that?" She asked me, her eyes glistening with curiosity. _

" _Because when I'm with them I feel the same emptiness because you are not there. And when I'm here I feel the same emptiness because they aren't here." Rebecca just continued to smile._

" _It's okay you know." She said a little sadly. " I'm okay with you leaving. I can feel that you want to." _

" _There's another thing I've been thinking about." I told her and she nodded._

" _You're wondering if you're dead or not." I nodded. " No. You aren't." She told me and I frowned._

" _What am I then?" She stopped walking and turned back to me, smiling._

" _You're asleep."_

_**(No Point of View)**_

" She stopped crying at least." Stefan said, trying to stay positive. Damon hadn't let go of her hand yet. " Come on Damon, you should rest."

" No." Was all he said and then he kept staring at Danielle's frowning face intently. " She'll come back soon. Her eyes are moving, which means that she's dreaming something which means she's only asleep. But I wont go until she wakes up, so please just leave me alone." He said and Stefan nodded, walking over to the kitchen to see Elena and Bonnie talking and crying at the same time.

" Is everything alright?" He asked them and Elena turned around and hugged him.

" Bonnie just told me what she saw. Oh, Stefan." She said but her voice broke. " What he did to her was terrible." Stefan rubbed her back slowly and tried to sooth her.

" Calm down. You know that Dani is strong. She'll get her revenge." He said.

" But what if she doesn't wake up?" Elena said in a low voice so that Damon wouldn't hear.

" She will Elena. She will." He said kissing her softly and they heard Damon call for Bonnie.

" Bonnie! Get over here!" He demanded and they all exited the kitchen.

" What Damon?" She asked looking at Danielle. " Did something happen?" He shook his head.

" No, I need you to try to get me inside of her head." He said and pointed at Danielle. " Can you do it?" She shook her head at him.

" No. Damon, I'm sorry but I can't." She said. " If I could I would have done it, but I'm not that type of witch." She told him and he turned back to Dani and stared at her again.

" Okay." Was all he said and they were all shocked that he hadn't pushed the matter any further.

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

" _I'm asleep?" I repeated and she nodded._

" _Yes, but I really think you should wake up soon. Damon is really worried about you." She said frowning. " You changed him in more ways than you can ever imagine and right now Stefan, Elena and Bonnie are seeing that." She told me and I felt a cold wind blow through me._

" Okay._" Damon's voice whispered in my mind and I froze. _

" _You heard him, didn't you?" Rebecca smiled and I nodded._

" _Yes."_

" _He misses you."_

" _I miss him." She looked at me._

" _You know that William actually never compelled you? He couldn't do it somehow. So all the feelings you had for him were real."_

" _I wish you were wrong." I muttered in bitterness. " So you know about mom?" I asked and she nodded._

" _Yeah. William told me right before he-" She stopped, re-living the memory in her own mind._

"_-killed you." I finished for her. She nodded._

" _You really need to go back Danielle." She said and I bit my lip. " I do love you and all, but I kind of forgot how annoying you can get sometimes." She joked and I couldn't help but smile at her bad attempt to make me happy. " All I need to do is ask you one more question before you leave." She added, thinking about something._

" _What is that?" I asked and noticed that the trees and water around us had disappeared and that we were standing on nothing at all._

" _Do you love Damon?" She asked and I looked at her. " Never mind. I think I already know the answer to that." She said and kissed me on my forehead and then turned to dust, just as everything else turned white again._

All of the sudden I gasped opening my eyes.

" She's awake!" I heard Damon exclaim and I tried to calm down my breathing. Damon cupped my cheeks and made me look into his eyes. " Dani. Dani. Look at me. Calm down. You're okay." He said calmly, but still overjoyed.

" Damon!" I gasped and I saw Elena cover her mouth when I spoke. Both she and Bonnie were crying, which I couldn't really understand. " Why are you crying?" I asked confused and they both walked up to hug me. " Okay, will you please just stop crushing me already?" I asked and they pulled away. I sat up straight and looked at them.

" What happened to you?" Stefan asked after hugging me too, ignoring what I had said before.

" I fell asleep." I simply said and then told them everything about my dream or whatever it was. In the end of my story they were all staring at me in disbelief.

" That sounds amazing Danielle." Elena said. I looked at Bonnie.

" I think I owe you a real apology Bonnie. I must have scared you when I made you see everything." She looked at me strangely.

" So you knew you were making me see the things I saw?" She asked and I nodded.

" Yes. I had to try it. I needed you to understand that I really don't want to hurt anyone." Stefan and Damon looked at me. " Even if I sometimes lose control." I realized Stefan must have told Damon about what happened the night we went dancing.

" It's okay Danielle." She said and took my hand. I looked at it and then smiled up at her. " But before you- uh- _fell asleep_, you said something about my grandmother. Did you know her or something?" Bonnie asked and I nodded.

" Yeah, it was back sometime during the 70's. I met her in Washington and we got to know each other. She helped me hide from William but in the end I realized that I had put her in danger as well so I left." I explained and Bonnie nodded.

" And then you got captured. Again." She added and I nodded.

" As soon as I left her." I thought about it slightly. " She was actually the witch that showed me what I did earlier. She did it with another witch and then tried doing it with me too, but then it didn't work for some reason. I think it might have been because it never got _triggered _if we put it that way."

" I'm just glad you woke up Dani." Elena said and I smiled at her.

" I'm sorry if I scared you guys." I said and Damon stood up walking away to the kitchen. I looked after him and stood up myself, following him. " Damon?" I asked as he leaned against the counter.

" You're sorry you scared us?" He asked. " I never should have let you go with Elena in the first place. This is all my fault for becoming so weak around you." He said and I shook my head.

" You're not weak Damon." I told him calmly and he shook his head. I knew where this was going.

" Yes I am Danielle. Can't you see that? I've changed completely because of you! The things that made me be who I am are gone! I barely recognize myself anymore!" He said and I stared at him as he continued. " I used to be the badass guy, who everyone was afraid of making mad because they were afraid of what he would do next. I was like the big bad wolf and now I'm only the kitten that you play with on daily basis!" I couldn't speak. " I don't know if I can handle all of this anymore! I'm not myself! You've turned me into a _freaking Stefan!_" He said and then crashed his lips against mine, making me even more surprised. I kissed him back with passion and my fingers tangled in his hair as his hands roamed my back and he pulled me even closer to him. We pulled away breathing heavily.

" I'm sorry Damon." I said. " For making you change." I added. " I know you might not know it, but I can still see who you used to be. You didn't change because of me Damon. You changed long before that. You changed when you found out that Katherine wasn't in that tomb." I whispered and he looked at me. " You are still the badass guy that everyone is afraid of. Just look at me. I'm afraid of you." I said and he let go of me.

" What are you saying?" He asked confused.

" I'm afraid that you will never feel the same way about me that I feel about you. Or the same way that you felt about Katherine or how you still feel about Elena." I mumbled. " I'm sorry Damon. I just don't know how to tell you how I feel. That isn't even the problem here. The problem is me. I'm changing you and I'm sorry about that even if your change began before I arrived in Mystic Falls." I turned around. " Maybe it would be better for all of us if I left Mystic Falls. That way William will never find out about you and he will never bother to kill you." I could feel Damon staring at me.

" Danielle." He said. " I didn't mean it like that." He seemed to be torn. " The thing is that I just feel like no one is afraid anymore."

" They are." I said.

" What?" He asked.

" They are afraid. All of them. I can see into them just like I can see into you and I see that they are all afraid."

" Stefan?" He asked.

" Scared that you might lose your mind and massacre the whole town."

" Elena?"

" Afraid that you'll snap."

" Bonnie."

" Never got over you almost killing her."

" Tyler?"

" Has nightmares about you killing him."

" You?" I stopped thinking it through.

" Afraid you'll leave me." I whispered. His expression softened and he looked at me filled with remorse for once.

" I'm sorry." He said and hugged me. I hugged him back and saw Stefan, Elena and Bonnie standing in the doorway looking at us. I smiled slightly at them and then nodded. " _I guess I'm still badass._" I heard Damon think and pulled away smacking him. " What now?" He asked and I glared at him.

" I heard what you thought!" I said and he chuckled. " You haven't changed at all. You're still the same smug, arrogant, glib, immature and Damon-ish vampire you always were!" He raised an eyebrow at me, still holding me around my waist.

" Damon-ish?" He asked.

" That's a word I use to collect all the above things in one." I told him and he nodded.

" Noted." Then he kissed me and I didn't care anymore. We pulled away only to see that the others had turned around to give us some privacy.

" Sometimes I hate you." I told him putting my hand to his cheek. " And sometimes you just drive me crazy." I softly kissed him again.

" I'm never leaving you alone with Elena again." He stated, kissing me.

" So that means that you'll go with me on my next field trip?" I asked him and kissed him. He looked at me.

" You going somewhere?" He asked and I nodded.

" Tomorrow-" I began but he stopped me.

" No. No way. You need to rest after what happened today. Whatever it is, it can wait until next week." He told me and I shrugged.

" I guess it can." Once again he kissed me and Bonnie stomped into the kitchen.

" As much as I've begun to like you Danielle, I can't stand the fact that you and Damon are making out in my kitchen where I cook. So will you please just check into a hotel room or go home now?" Damon smirked at her comment. " And no '_activities_' Damon. She needs rest after what happened." She told him and his smirk dropped.

" Ha. I like her now." I told him and then turned to Bonnie. " But what I told you before when we were alone still counts. Hurt them and get hurt." I said and she nodded.

" I understand. Now will you please be so nice and leave?" She asked and I nodded. I began to walk out of the room and Damon grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him. He turned me around and made me look into his eyes.

" Dani I..." He began but stopped.

" What Damon?" I asked, feeling my heart beat faster.

" I love-" He stopped again. " I love the way you did your hair today. You should do it like that everyday." He finally said and I looked at him.

" Oh." Was all I said. " Let's just go home, shall we?" I said and he nodded. I knew it would have been easy just to read his mind to find out what he really wanted to say, but I couldn't do that to him. He's different than anyone I've ever met. I love him. I love him. I love- _Oh my freaking God I love him! _I realized what I thought and knew that it really was true. Yesterday I had just thought it was because of him supporting me through my problems, but now I knew that I loved him for him and all I could do was hope that he actually loved me back...

* * *

**_A/N: Yeah... Danielle loves Damon... Yada-yada-yada... I have a real issue now... HOW THE HECK DO I MAKE DAMON TELL HER HE LOVES HER AS WELL? Because he clearly does! Or does he? :O_**

**_I'm actually thinking about mixing in some season 2 stuff and maybe some Katherine here... What do you think? Maybe she want to stir up problems with Damon and Dani?_**

**_Oh and one more think, what do you think of the couples name, Damonelle? Too long? Hmmm... =/ ah well!_**

**_Anyway if you review a lot on this chapter, the next one will be up soon! AND here's a tiny sneak peak from it, just because I feel like it ;)_**

**_(Elena and Dani are talking about someone in their room. Two weeks have passed since this "incident".)_**

" Good. I might visit her after I get back from my trip." I said and Elena looked at me.

" Has Damon given you his permission to go yet?" She asked and I shrugged.

" Since when do I need his permission to do anything?" I asked and a new voice answered from the door.

" Since you almost got yourself killed." Damon said, with his arms crossed across his chest.

" I didn't nearly get myself killed." I snorted. " Just exhausted."

" Yeah, well you exhausted means I don't get to have fun with you in over two weeks, which means that I'm not happy." He smirked and I rolled my eyes. So what? I haven't had enough energy to do anything with Damon and he got a little mad because of that or something. Elena jumped off the bed.

" I feel like I should go before he jumps you right here and now." She said to me and I laughed.

**_And that's all you get for now ;)_**

**_Review and more will come!_**

**_Review fast and things will come faster!_**

**_Review and you make me happy, which means I'll make you happy!_**

**_Did you get the point?_**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_;)_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	17. Chapter 17

**_A/N: Okay so I know the last chapter was really, really, really strange and weird and I'm sorry for that! But I'm glad I got some reviews ;) Anyway this chapter is really short and I'm sorry for that. But the truth is I haven't had much time to write lately, but I figured I should at least give you something for the nice reviews I got :D_**

**_So if you keep it up and review some on this chapter, I might but up a new one either before New Year or the 1st January! Isn't that nice of me? ;) Well please read the chapter and review. I would love you forever!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with TVD! I just own Danielle and William and any other OC mentioned!_**

**_Oh and Merry (belated) Christmas! ;)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

_**(Back to the normal PoV meaning Danielle's Point of View)**_

So, more then one week passed since the incident at Bonnie's house. Actually, the entire month passed. Damon, Stefan and Elena had taken turns on "Dani patrol" making sure I didn't try to get out of the house. I was for some reason still weak after that little thing that happened and I couldn't understand why. I had tried everything to get my energy back but I just couldn't. I tried animal blood and human blood (from blood bags) but it just never was enough. Elena had even gone so far as to offer me some of her blood but I refused to do it. Maybe that had been a mistake?

I was sitting in my room reading a book quietly when someone knocked on the door. I looked up and put the book down.

" Come in." I said and the door slowly opened only to reveal Elena.

" Hi Dani." She said and sat down on my bed, next to me.

" What's up?" I asked popping the p.

" Well actually, Jenna has been asking to meet you and she thought maybe you left town or something again." She said.

" Oh? Really? What did you tell her?"

" I just told her you've been at home because you're sick." She explained and I nodded.

" Good cover up." I told her and she nodded.

" Yeah, but I'm not done yet. Then she said something about how she knew it and I asked her what she meant and then she said, and I quote, " I think Dani and Damon had a thing and that she's pregnant" end of quote." She smiled and I burst out laughing.

" She's right on one half, but I am definitively not pregnant." Elena bit her lip.

" Are you sure? I mean I know vampires can't procreate but what if they are half witches?" She asked me and I shook my head.

" No, the witch part is just like something extra. You know, like a A+? It's like if I had been only human I would have been a simple A, but with being half witch I got a plus. Does that make any sense to you?" I asked her and she nodded.

" Yeah I think so." She said and I nodded.

" Good. I might visit her after I get back from my trip." I said and Elena looked at me.

" Has Damon given you his permission to go yet?" She asked and I shrugged.

" Since when do I need his permission to do anything?" I asked and a new voice answered from the door.

" Since you almost got yourself killed." Damon said, with his arms crossed across his chest.

" I didn't nearly get myself killed." I snorted. " Just exhausted."

" Yeah, well you exhausted means I don't get to have fun with you in over two weeks, which means that I'm not happy." He smirked and I rolled my eyes. So what? I haven't had enough energy to do anything with Damon and he got a little mad because of that or something. Elena jumped off the bed.

" I feel like I should go before he jumps you right here and now." She said to me and I laughed.

" Feel free to stay." Damon said and I threw my book at him for his comment and he caught it perfectly.

" So, is it your turn to babysit me?" I asked him and he nodded.

" Yeah, but I was thinking we could do something else."

" I am not sleeping with you Damon!" I said and he shook his head.

" Not that, but thanks for making it clear for the thousandth time this week." He said and I rolled my eyes. " I was thinking we could test your strength again. And your reflexes." He added. I smiled widely.

" Finally some fun." I said and got off the bed, grabbing his hand. " Let's go!"

We went out in the backyard and I saw that he had already prepared everything. There were items everywhere, small ones as well as big ones. Stefan's car was in the middle and some sharp items as well.

" You stand over there and I'll bombard you with these." Damon said, picking up some soccer balls.

" Where did you get those?" I asked him raising an eyebrow.

" Rick lent them to me. The school will never know." He said in a mysterious tone. " Ready?" He asked and I nodded and then it began.

I managed to catch every ball and throw it back at him. He dodged them as good as he could, because I was faster than usual. Then after that he made me lift some heavy stuff but I refused to throw Stefan's car because I knew how much it meant to him. Damon surprised me when he picked up a couple of knifes and threw them at me. I ducked and caught one one of them, sending it back to him and it hit him right in the shoulder. He groaned a little and I bit my lip.

" Sorry." I said and he glared at me. All of the sudden I heard something snap and I raised my hands and caught Stefan who had jumped on me from the tree. I bared my fangs at him and threw him at the ground and then I heard Damon hiss behind me and in less than a second I had run up to him and pinned him to the ground. I was breathing heavily and he stared up at me, his face normal again.

" You passed the test." He said slowly and leaned his head up and put his lips to mine.

" Get a room." I heard Stefan mumble as I kissed Damon back. I smiled into the kiss knowing that I might finally get out of the house.

" I'll come with you." Damon said in a low voice looking up into my eyes. I slowly nodded.

" Okay." I pecked his lips one final time and got off him, helping him up. He gave me an actual smile (no not a smirk or a Damon smile, but a REAL smile).

One hour later Damon and I were sitting in his car and he was driving towards the destination I told him. I put the map away.

" So, why are we going to this hotel or whatever it is?" He asked me putting on his shades. I already had mine on.

" I have some business there with someone." Damon chuckled.

" Not a guy I hope." I said and I went quiet. " A guy Dani? Really? You're taking me to meet some guy?" He asked and I turned to look at him.

" No one said you had to come." I stated and he growled.

" So is he an ex?" I shook my head.

" No, just someone I met once."

" Okay. If you say so..." He said and left it at that. No, I'm just kidding. We kept bickering about it the whole way to the hotel.

I opened the door and then slammed it shut. He followed suit, doing the same thing. We walked over to the counter and a guy with shaggy blond hair looked up and stared at me.

" Hey. It's you again." He smiled at me. I smiled back.

" Hi Victor." I said winking at him.

" What did you do to your hair? I like it." He said and I glanced at Damon who was glaring at him. Victor turned his head to look at him. " I'm guessing you're the boyfriend?" He said, taking in Damon's image. Damon put a protective hand around my waist.

" Yeah. I am." He nearly growled. Victor nodded.

" So you broke up with the last one?" He asked me and I looked at him confused.

" What last one?" I asked him and he shrugged.

" You know, your boyfriend. I guess it's okay considering your the bad girl." He said and I remembered what I had told him last time I was here.

" Still don't know who you're talking about." I said and he looked at me strangely.

" You know. Tall, brown haired, muscular guy. Has a smoking problem or something. He was chain smoking outside every night. He said he was traveling after you or something. What was his name again... He had a really old one... Uh..." He stopped for a second. " Right! William! That was his name!" He exclaimed happily and my body froze.

" William was here?" I asked him and he nodded. " He gave me his number and told me to call if I ever saw you here again, but I guess that since you broke up I shouldn't tell him."

" Oh they didn't break up." Damon said and I turned to look at him shocked. All he did was smirk at me. " Go ahead. Give him a call."

* * *

**_A/N: Oh my Damon- what is he up to now? :O_**

**_Well review a lot and you might find out! ;) Review fast and the updates might come faster too! =D_**

**_And if you don't remember Victor is the guy who was in the VERY first chapter of the first story. You know, the guy who worked at the hotel and tried to flirt with Danielle? Haha, yeah. He still works there. Poor lad. ;)_**

**_Have a awesome end of the year everyone!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	18. Chapter 18 & IMPROTANT AN IN THE END

**_A/N: Hi! So I didn't get many reviews on the last chapter. =/ Three to be exact. But I'm happy I got something at least ^^. So thank you soooooooo much! 3 Here you get a special mentioning ;)_**

**_KissWithAFistx (Applause!)_**

**_MileeyRayCyrus (Applause again!)_**

**_.DiArIeS (Applause again again!)_**

**_xD_**

**_On another story I'm writing for another show I got 16 reviews on ONE chapter! :D I was so happy! And I just passed 100 reviews on that story as well as another one. And I was thinking, if you guys can beat that review "record" on this chapter or so, you guys would be awesome and maybe, just maybe, I might put up the next chapter a little faster ;) what do you think? Can you beat that?_**

**_Anyway, enjoy this chapter! And oh... You do know how much I LOVE my little twists &turns on my stories. ;) This ending is a little special!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle and William!_**

* * *

I stared at Damon and he was still smirking. Victor looked at me and then at Damon and made a 'o' face.

"So he's like _the other guy_ or something?" He asked and Damon nodded. "You really are bad." Victor said looking amused. I looked at him and then stared at Damon. He was still smirking and I turned back to Victor. Victor started to pick up the phone and I stopped him, chills running down my spine.

"Don't do anything until I come back, undersood?" I compelled him and he nodded.

"Understood." He said and I turned to Damon and dragged him along with me.

"Are you out of your mind?" I whispered to him once we were out of view from everyone. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Damon simply looked at me.

"Look, if that kid has William's number, he can contact him. If he does then we'll just wait for him here. He expects to find you alone, which you are not because you have me, and then we surpsise him with a stake." He says and I look at him like he had gone crazy..

"You're nuts!" I exclaim. "William can't be killed that easily! He's old! He's like over 500 years old for all I know! He never told me his age Damon! He can kill us all in less than two seconds and you wont even see it coming." I said and Damon shrugged.

"So we'll deal with that after I rip his heart out."

"Damon. Stop it. We are not letting that kid make that call. End of discussion." I said sternly and he rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I would risk you, Stefan, Elena and everyone else I care about just so that I can have a '_confrontation_' with him? We need to _avoid _him as much a possible." I told him and he crossed his arms.

"Okay then. But when he shows up at your doorstep and surprises you, then don't come wining to me." he told me and I nodded.

"I wont, becasue then I would already have died!" I said and stomped off to Victor again. I looked him in the eyes and began to compell him. "You will forget I was ever here. You don't remember seeing me again after I left the first time. You lost the number William gave you because you dropped it in the toilet and flushed without noticing after it was too late. Got it?" He slowly nodded, looking dazed. "Great and give me that number." I snapped and took it from his hand. I walked over to Damon again. "Let's go drama queen." I said and he glared at me.

"I'm the drama queen? You're just overreacting like always. You're like the queen of overreacting!" He told me as we walked out to the car.

"Queen of overreacting?" I asked and he nodded getting into the car. "Just drive us home already!" I told him and he nodded.

"Yeah, because I'm the designated driver right? Like always." He added and I stared at him.

"When did I ever ask you to drive me anywhere?"

"Oh, let me think-"

"Just stop it already Damon! You are so immature and I-"

"Can't believe that I fall for this crap every single-"

"You are so freakishly annoying, why can't you just let me handle my own _Goddamn_ busi-"

"Because you'll just get yourself killed and I care about you!"

"Then could you just care a little bit less because-" He crushed his lips against mine to make our argument end. It really had been a silly argument and I wouldn't argue with that. I can't really understand what it is about him that makes me so worked up. I guess all that sexual tension has been building up again since we haven't- well you get the point. I pulled away after a good fiew minutes of making out.

"You know what?" I asked him and shook his head.

"What, oh great Ms. Brown?" He asked me and I bit my lip.

"I think Stefan was right about that getting a room thing, don't you?" I said and he quickly got out of the car and ran over to my side (vamp style), opened my door and carried me out, bridal style.

"Finally." Was all he said as he checked us in, making me laugh and Victor to look at us as if we were crazy.

He was alseep, with his arm wrapped around my waist. I couldn't help but stare. He was just amazing and I couldn't tell him. Not yet anyway. I ran a finger down his cheek, feeling the cold and smooth skin against mine. I closed my eyes and slowly got myself into his dream.

_He was walking down the street, holding my hand. We were looking at different stores with jewlary and we stopped in front of a all new one._

_" Let's look in here." He said and dragged me inside. I looked around smiling. He pulled me to the counter and pressed the bell. " Hello? We're here to look at engagement rings?" Damon called out and there was some ruffling in the back._

_" Be right there!" We heard a voice and Damon smirked satisfied. I found myself frowning. Were we getting married? Isn't that like one step too much for the both of us? " Ah. So, how mayI help you?" We turned around and I froze._

_" William." I managed to say and Damon stood in front of me._

_" Hello Dani." He said just like he had the day he caught me and then he sprung at Damon. He lifted Damon up and threw him against the wall, were he then laid hurt._

_" Don't touch him!" I yelled and attacked, baring my fangs. William caught me by the throat._

_" But he doesn't love you Dani." He muttered. " Not the way you want him to anyway. He's always going to love **her**." Another person walked up from behind of William. **Katherine. **_

_I stared blankly as she walked over to Damon and helped him up. He was staring at her and then looked at me. Slowly she took his hand and led me towards me and William._

_" Finish her off William. Just the way you always wanted to." Katherine said and William's face changed._

_" I have a new idea." He said and grabbed Damon by the throat as well as I cried out._

_" Please don't!" I cried and William just smirked and looked into Damon's eyes._

_" You are going to take that stake and drive it through her heart." He compelled Damon easily and I simply stared as Damon took the stake from Katherine and walked over to me. William threw me onto the floor and I stared back at Damon._

_" I love you..." I whispered as he stabbed me and I screamed out in pain._

Damon woke up gasping and I held my eyes closed. I hadn't been me controlling his dream. I had just visited. This had been what he actually had dreamt. He turned to look at me and I tried not to show that I was awake. He put his hand to my cheek and caressed it softly. Then he turned around on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Sometime during the night I turned around so that my back was facing him. I didn't want him to see, when a tear rolled down my cheek.

* * *

I woke up the next morning and saw Damon already getting dressed. I smiled at him as he smirked at me, buttoning his shirt.

"Good morning Danielle." He said and I smiled wider.

"Good morning Damon." I repeated in the same tone. During the night I had decided that I would act as if nothing had happened. It would be easier to pretend that the dream from last night never existed.

"You're in a good mood today. That's good." Damon said. "Maybe we can have some fun when we get home as well?" He suggested.

"I think Stefan would throw us out of the house." I stated and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Well, I put up with him and Elena after you left. Believe me, those two can hardly keep their hands off of each other in a storm." He said and I laughed.

"Let's just get home first." I said and quickly stood up, getting dressed. Ten minutes later, I was practically running through the lobby.

"What's the rush Dani?" Damon chuckled and I shrugged.

"I don't know. Somthing just feels _off_ about this place now. It feels as if I should get out of here before something happens." Damon gave me a strange look that made me laugh. "Or I just want to get home so that Elena and I can gossip about the most wonderful night of my very, long life." I said and he smirked at me as we sat down in the car. I had this strange feeling that I should turn around and _see_ something but I ignored it. It was as if something was calling me and it was sending an iceberg up and down my spine. I shuddered and looked at Damon.

"So that bad feeling. Is it something witchy?" Damon asked and I smacked him.

"Just get us out of here." I told him and he obliged, not asking a single question.

_**(No Point Of View)**_

Victor watched as the two lovers left, laughing and smiling at each other. There was just something different about the girl this time. She seemed- stressed. Or freaked out for that matter. He found himself frowning in deep thought.

"Why does it feel like I had something to do?" He whispered to himself.

"Because you should have given me a call." A grim voice behind him said. Startled Victor turned around and looked at the man. He was young but had a slight beard. He had a cigar in his mouth and his shaggy brown hair was messed up. He reeked of alcohol and cigarsmoke and something else... A smell Victor never really had felt but he saw small drops of red around the man's collar.

"Excuse me Sir, but no smoking allowed inside the Hotel." Victor said, just like any other person working there would. The man walked closer, still with the cigar in the corner of his mouth.

"No smoking allowed huh?" He asked taking his eyes off of the car that finally drove off. In a second he grabbed Victor by the throat.

"Please... Let go... I can't- _breathe_." Victor managed to say. The man smiled at him grimly.

"I know. That's the point of choking someone." He said simply. "Maybe next time, you should call when I tell you to." Victor stared at him.

"I will! I-I promise!" Victore choked.

"Good." The man said. "Now under what name did those two check in?" He asked, letting go of Victor who gasped. He checked something quickly on the computer and looked up.

"Damon Salvatore and Danielle Brown." He answered. The man grinned as some of the ashes from the cigar fell down on the desk.

"Good." He repeated in the same tone had before. Once again he grabbed Victor by the throat and Victor's eyes widened.

"Who are you?" He asked frightened.

"You can just call me William." He said and put the cigar out. "And about that call-" He said and Victor looked at him. The man added a little pressure and a _snap _was heard and Victor fell motionless down to the floor. "-there wont be a next time for you." William said and straightened out his shirt. He looked towards the exit and headed that way. While walking he smirked.

"I've got you now Dani."

* * *

**_A/N: _**

**_:O!_**

**_I think that pretty much did the job. So now you got to read about William for the first time that hasn't to do with capturing Dani or torturing Dani! :) Do you like? ;)_**

**_Poor Victor! He died! :(_**

**_Now just a little tease... What happens when Dani finds out about Victor being dead? I mean surely they HAVE to put it on TV about the poor guys who was brutally killed or- whas it an accident? :O_**

**_And remember my little challenge for you guys! Oh and I've decided that the 100th reviewer (if I get that far) WILL get a MAJOR sneak peak from the future chapters of this story!_**

**_You get to choose between a fiew alternatives though:_**

**_* Dani and Damon's relationship._**

**_* William._**

**_* Mason Lockwood (I have a plan for him to enter this story! And it doesn't involve Katherine!) or any other werewolves._**

**_* Jenna & Rick's wedding._**

**_I'll post this list again to refresh your memory when the 100th review gets closer ;)_**

**_Thank you for those of you who reviewed so far! Please keep it going and help me get inspired! If you have any suggestions or requests please tell me in a review! ;) _**

**_Have an awesome day (or night, depending on when you're reading this)._**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	19. Chapter 19

**_A/N: So it's been a while since I updated and it's mostly becasue school has started again. Hmmm... I already have tests coming up and I wont be able to update in while I think =/ I know, it's too sad..._**

**_Well anyway, while rewatching all the episodes of TVD with my mom I was inspired to write another story and I actually think it might turn out good :) It's a little more supernatural than this one and it has a CRAZY plot! It's about a girl who actually was "bred" to become what she became. Her mom was a witch (just like Danielle, I know) and her dad was a- dramatic pause- werewolf! I know! :O And then, KLAUS found out about them and became curious... And well, I guess if you think it sounds interesting you should tell me so that I can post the first chapter which is already done and edited and everything ;). I'll put up a small sneak peak of it in the end of this chapter ;)_**

**_So anyway in the next chapter od this story there will be some russian actually becasue I will be introducing two new characters who are sort of William's minions ;) But remember russian isn't one of the five languages I speak so I used google translate so it might not be correct! :) But that is in the next chapter :D_**

**_Now please enjoy!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with the Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle, William and any other OC mentioned in this story!_**

* * *

After that day everything seemed to change for me. A week passed and I felt strained whenever Damon tried to kiss me. It wasn't just Damon, it was everyone around me. I knew there was nothing I could do. William was too strong for us, even if we were together. I think that might have been the feeling that overcame me at the hotel. Realization that there was nothing I could do.

"Dani? Danielle?" Stefan voice snapped me out of my daydreaming. I looked up at him.

"Did you say something?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, I wondered if you and Damon had a fight or something? You've been awfully quiet this week." He told me and I shrugged.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a little tired." I told him and laughed. We were sitting at a table in the grill, just spending some _BFF quality time_ together as Damon so kindly put it.

"Okay. If you say so." He said and simply gave me his _I-don't-believe-you-_look which is pretty much like his _I'm-actually-happy-today-_look. "Have you been to visit Jenna yet? She's been asking about you every single time I've been there." I shook my head.

"No. Actually I think I'll go visit her after were done here." I told him and he nodded and smiled slightly.

"You should."

"I will."

"Great."

"Just amazing." And then I glared. "What is this Stefan? Did Damon put you up to this? To find out what's really going on in my head?" Stefan stayed quiet. "So, he did." I said putting away the cup of coffee in my hand.

"I'm sorry. He got me worried." Stefan said and I shrugged.

"It's okay Stefan. I'm not mad, actually, I'm thrilled." I smirked. "Now I know that Damon actually cares enough to let you spy on me." I stood up and grabbed my jacket.

"Dani, where are you going?" He asked me and I looked at him.

"Jenna's. Tell Damon that if he want to find out something, he can come and ask me himself."

"Come on Dani, he was just-" Stefan stopped not knowing how to continue.

"Bye Stefan. I'll be home later." I said and left him sitting alone at the grill.

* * *

Moodswings, the best word ever, right? No.

I hated myself for losing control all the time and I hated that I took it out on Stefan and Damon. Well to be fair, Damon did stab me in the dream. But then of course it was a dream and he couldn't control it. I knocked on the door and soon I heard footsteps. The door opened and I smiled.

"Jenna." I said happily. "Hi, I-" She slammed the door in my face. I frowned at the door and tried knocking again. "Jenna? Why did you just slam the door in my face?" I asked her but she didn't answer. The door opened slightly and Jeremy peaked out.

"Hi Dani." He smiled and I raised an eyebrow at him. "Jenna's not speaking to you right now. Please try again after you get a life." He told me and began to close the door but I stopped him putting my foot in the way.

"Jeremy. I know Jenna's standing behind the door telling you what to say." I smiled and the door opened and Jenna glared at me. Jeremy looked from me to her and then shook his head.

"I'm leaving." He said and went up to his room. I looked at Jenna who crossed her arms at me.

"Oh, so now is a good time to show up?" She asked and I began to answer but she continued. "You think you can just come knocking on my door, saying everything's okay, when it clearly isn't." She was about to continue but I stopped her.

"Damon and I are together." She stopped moving and stared at me. I stared back. Another minute of staring and she pulled me inside. She was _strong _for a human. She pushed me down on the couch and sat down next to me.

"Oh my God, tell me everything." She smiled and I proceeded to tell her _almost _everything. She was watching me carefully and in the end she exclaimed how right she had been.

"I knew it. I simply knew it." She smiled wider. "Great! Now you have a date for the wedding!" She said and smiled even wider. I smiled back.

"When is it?" She frowned a little.

"Actually I have been thinking about doing it in December. Like a winter wedding. Don't you think it sounds romantic?" She asked dreamily.

"What happened to July or August? Have you been watching _Friends _again?" I asked her and she smiled.

"You know it's romantic. And while we're talking about romance, have you and Damon- you know?" She winked and I shrugged.

"Yeah." I said simply and she squealed.

"So then it's officially official! You and Damon will go together to my wedding!" I bit my lip.

"If we last that long. December is pretty far away. And it's your wedding _and _Ric's remember?" I added and she nodded.

"Yeah." She said just like I had before.

"Hi Jeremy." I stated and Jenna turned around just as Jeremy walked into the room.

"How did you know that?" She asked me and I shrugged.

"I'm a woman of many talents." I simply said and she nudged me in the ribs.

"I bet Damon found that out all by himself." Jenna said and Jeremy nearly fell off his chair.

"You and _Damon?_" He asked and I looked at him.

"I kind of caved." I smiled and Jeremy frowned. Jenna pulled out her hand towards him.

"Pay up." She said and he handed her a ten. I stared at their hands as they exchanged the money.

"How come people are always betting on me?" I asked and Jenna shrugged.

"Because your a safe horse to bet on?" She suggested putting away the money.

"Are you calling me a horse?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"Metaphorically speaking of course." I gave her a small nod. Jenna and I talked for a while until I just got bored. Then I asked Jeremy to play video games with me and he didn't really hesitate, thinking he could beat me. I guess you could always learn from your mistakes.

* * *

"You won again!" He exclaimed and threw his hands up in the air.

"Huh! I was born long before this game even existed." I told him and he looked at me confused. I realized my mistake. "I mean before you even existed." I said and he just shrugged it off. We played a couple of more rounds until the doorbell rang. Jenna opened it and came back with a small smile on her face.

"Dani. I'm guessing your ride is here." She said and I paused the game and looked up to see Damon somewhat glaring at me.

"Dani." He said in a smug tone.

"Jackass." I said back in the same tone. Jenna looked confused. I didn't tell her that the reason I came here was that I was pissed off at Damon.

"Don't be like that." he said and walked over sitting down on the other side of Jeremy.

"Oh, if I want to be like that, I will be like that." I snapped.

"I don't even know what I did-"

"You sent Stefan to me instead of asking me yourself!" I told him. "I would have told you if something was wrong if you had just asked me, but oh no- Damon has to do things his own way." Jeremy who was between us stared as I smacked Damon on the back of his head.

"You did not just hit me-" One more smack.

"Oh, I'm sorry I guess I did." I said and stood up and he stood up as well. I turned to Jenna."I'm sorry Jenna. My _boyfriend _is an _ass_ who doesn't know how to behave among people." He glared at me and Jeremy looked slightly amused.

"Oh, _I'm _sorry Jenna, because my _girlfriend _has issues not only once a month, but every _freaking day of the year!_" I smacked him again and he glared at me. Jenna squeaked, trying to hold back laughter. I glared at her.

"If you have something to ask, then just ask." I told him crossing my arms. Jenna looked like she was watching a drama on television as did Jeremy. Damon was still glaring.

"Are you cheating on me?" He asked suddenly taking me by surprise. I saw a glint in his eyes and I knew he was faking it. I figured, I should play along- just for the heck of it.

"Are you real Damon?" I snapped at him and he shrugged.

"You've been sneaking around a lot. Not telling me things... Going out with Stefan..." He trailed off.

"So you're telling me that I am cheating on you, with your brother who is also my best friend and who also has a girlfriend which is my other friend?" I asked him confused and he thought about it for a second.

"Yeah!" He finally said and I glared at him darkly.

"Well if you listened to me more, maybe I wouldn't have to sneak around." I said and he shrugged.

"I guess you're only good for _one _thing in life." He said loud enough for Jenna to hear.

"I guess _one _of us has to be."

"Okay, that's enough!" Jenna exclaimed loudly. Damon and I stared at her and then at each other before bursting out in laughter. Jenna stared at us confused. "What the hell is going on?" She snapped and I walked over to Damon putting my arms around his neck.

"Jenna, no matter how old and mature you are, you'll never understand this relationship." I said and softly kissed Damon on the lips. Jenna made an "awww" sound and Jeremy fake gagged.

"And besides, she is _very _good at that one thing I told you about." Damon said and did his eye-thingy. I smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Eww. More information than I needed." Jenna said and Jeremy was already on his way upstairs. I grinned and kissed Damon again.

"But I really am mad at you." I whispered and he nodded.

"I know." He said smugly. "Let's just take that at home, where we can be ourselves." I nodded and he once again kissed me.

"Okay, this is getting awfully cute." Jenna said and I laughed.

"Are you throwing us out Jenna?" I asked her and she nodded.

"I'm sorry, but yeah. Save that for the wedding my friends." She said and I felt Damon freeze.

"You know, Alaric and Jenna's wedding? Right Damon?" I asked him and he unfroze.

"Oh yeah. Congratulations by the way. I haven't seen Rick in a while." Damon said and Jenna nodded.

"Yeah, he's been working a lot lately. I feel sorry for him actually, but at least he doesn't have to focus on the wedding." She smiled and winked.

"Well that's great." I said and turned to Damon. "Can you wait in the car for me? I'll be right there and then we can go home." I said and he shook his head.

"What if I want to wait here for you?" He wined, acting like a little kid. I gave him a cold look.

_Get into the Goddamn car, Damon._ I thought and he stared at first. I hadn't used my "powers" since last time with Bonnie. I had figured out that I lost a lot of energy when I used them. "Okay." He said and walked over to the door turning around one last time. "Don't take too long now." He said and walked out. Jenna crossed her arms and looked at me.

"Sorry about that." I winked and she just shook her head.

"Didn't you see that?" She asked me and I shrugged.

"See what exactly?" I asked her and she pointed at the door.

"Damon! When I mentioned the wedding, he froze Dani!" She exclaimed. "He is obviously just playing you or something. He doesn't want to marry you!" She said and I stared at her blankly.

"Who the hell said anything about marriage?" I asked her. "Damon and I haven't talked about anything regarding our future and we certainly wont make any of those commitments soon." I told her and she looked at me.

"You're a girl Dani!"

"Last time I checked, yes." I said.

"Well, last time I checked, girls always dreamed of having their perfect wedding when they were young and I hardly believe that you were any different than the others." _I was, it was always Rebecca who dreamed of her wedding. _"I've dated a lot of Damon's before Dani, I just don't want you to get hurt." She said and I shrugged.

"If anyone is going to get hurt in the end Jenna, it wont be me." I told her and we hugged good bye. I walked out to Damon who was sitting in the car.

"Took you long enough." He told me and began to drive slowly.

"Jenna can sometimes get the silliest things in her little head." I told him and he laughed.

"Like the fact that I'm evil or something?" He asked and I smirked.

"You aren't evil Damon. You're just _bad_." I said and he chuckled.

"But so are you." He stated and I nodded.

"For the two years you have known me, I can confidently say that you have no idea how bad I really am." He glanced at me from the side.

"_Now _I'm really curious about what Jenna said." He told me and nodded.

"I'm still contemplating on killing you when we get home because you made Stefan your little _Dani-spy._" Damon gave me a look and then smiled.

"I'm not good at that feeling-thingy as you are Dani. That's why I sent Stefan. I would just have gotten you mad if I talked to you." I looked at him as he drove towards the house.

"Look how well that worked out for you." I smiled and he shrugged.

"Okay, I'll try _your_ way out." He muttered. "Are you okay Dani?" He asked. He was trying to sound really concerned and it made me laugh. "Come on! Give me some credit! I tried." He joked and I laughed again.

"I'm worried Damon." I finally said when I stopped laughing.

"About?" He pressed on and I shifted in the seat.

"William." I confessed and felt him slow down a little.

"Oh." He said and I nodded.

"I feel like I don't really know anything about him. I don't know anything except for what he told me before he turned me, or after he told me a fiew things during torture." I said looking straight ahead. "I don't know how old he is or anything like that. All I do know is that he is a obsessive, psychotic, murdering maniac who is after me and everyone I care about." Damon was quiet. I waited, expecting him to say something but when he didn't I continued. "Damon I haven't told you half of the stuff he did to me and everyone else who was ever involved with- Damon!" I yelled, grabbing onto the door when Damon suddenly made a U-turn in the middle of the street. "What the _hell_?" I asked and as he sped up.

"We're going to the Grill." He stated and I shot him a look.

"What? Why?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Because you obviously need to relax and not think about anything William related for a while." He said and I shook my head.

"No! We need to get home and talk about serious stuff Damon. We can go to the Grill and relax another day." Another U-turn was made and we were again on the way towards the house. His lips were sealed together in a tight line when I looked at him. "Thank you, Damon." I said and he shrugged.

"Just don't go all crazy on me again, okay?" He asked and I laughed.

"Depends." I told him smugly. "What do you want to do tonight?" I asked and he slowly began to smirk.

* * *

**_A/N: Hehe... a little bad there ;)_**

**_So what did you think? Did you like it or hate it? I am already writing on chapter 22 for this story and I am STILL not in the end of it! I feel like this will be one of the longest stories I've ever written!_**

**_Anyway, I wanted to give you guys a small sneak peak from chapter 1 of the new still unnamed story!_**

**_So here goes nothing!:_**

* * *

_**Mystic Falls, Present Time**_

_The Lockwood Mansion_

_Just like in 1864,_ Damon thought to himself as he watched couples dancing together on the dance floor. The only difference was the music and this time it was a masquerade. The music was a little more rhythmic than last time, he thought and drowned another shot of whiskey.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Carol Lockwood asked removing her mask and Damon nodded curtly.

"Yes, Carol. In fact I am." He said looking through the crowds of beautiful masked women.

"Well you better start dancing soon Damon, or all the beautiful girls might get taken." She said walking away and Damon snorted after her, muttering something. He walked over to Stefan and Elena who were dancing together.

"Hey, I'm going to be in the bar." He told them and Elena laughed.

"You have been there all night long." She said and Damon pursed his lips together.

"Have you had a little too much to drink Elena?" He asked her sarcastically and she shook her head.

"Nope." Both she and Stefan said and the same time. "Just happy." She said and Stefan twirled her around. Damon rolled his eyes walking over to the bar and ordering another drink.

"That doesn't sound good." A voice said next to him. He turned around and saw a girl with long brown hair falling onto her shoulder looking at him. She was wearing a tight black dress that went to her upper thigh and a black mask decorated with silver and blue stones. She was wearing a necklace made from white gold and it was embedded with a single blue stone. _Lapis lazuli_, Damon thought immediately.

"Actually it sounds amazing." He told her and drowned the glass trying to look into her eyes. She flashed, pearl white teeth and ordered a drink as well.

"If your goal is to get drunk tonight so that Carol Lockwood might stop harassing you, you can just give up. That is never going to happen." She stated and he chuckled.

"You know Carol Lockwood?" He asked and the girl nodded, drowning her drink.

"You could say that." She said and ordered another drink. "She is married to one of my relatives. Or, well, she _was._" She said and took a sip from her glass.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Damon said and she smiled slightly.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." She told him and they stayed quiet for a while.

"Your necklace is pretty." He said after a fiew minutes.

"Thanks, I got it from my... Uhm..." She tried to find the right word to use.

"Boyfriend?" Damon asked and she shook her head.

"No, definitively not." She laughed.

"So you're single?" He asked and she nodded, leaning closer to his ear and whispering against it.

"Yes I am."

* * *

**_A/N: So what did you think about that? That is actually in the ending of chapter 1. Before that there is sort of a flashback to 1864 and the first time Damon met this girl. Woops! Said too much there ;) But anyway, review and tell me if you want me to continue this story and if you thought it sounded intresting. The story mainly goes deeper into the whole "originals"-thing and I've put in this girl who is a mix of almost every species there is... And then mix in some love with Damon or so and you got a really weird but at least a little intresting story ;)_**

**_Okay so review much and fast and then I'll find time to update the story faster okay? So go, go, go, go and REVIEW!_**

**_Oh and if you have any suggestions for the name of this new story, tell me ;) Best name might get a prize :D_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**

**_P.S. Plot for new story: _**_They never expected she would return to Mystic Falls. This stong headed, exotic beauty that the oldest vampire in the world desires has returned after 145 years and she will put a spin on the lives of eveyone in Mystic Falls and especially on one of our favorite brothers. With new friends, she might actually be accepted and will her dark secrets finally be revealed to the world?_

**_As you all know I suck at summaries and I'll probably change it later on but that is the plot basically ;) Now review!_**

**_xoxo (again)_**

**_Spicy_**


	20. Chapter 20

**_A/N: Hey again! It's been three days and the only reason I'm updating are all the reviews I got ;) 7 reviews! Yay! Now you know that if you review even more on this chapter, I might update the next one in TWO days instead ;) That'll give you time to actually review more and so on._**

**_So in this chapter there is some russian but since I don't speak russian I had to use google translate and that means things might not be completely accurate. But I translated the things I wanted to say and they are written in _**_italics **right after the russian things. :) So enjoy readong and please review!**_

_**OMG! I just realized something! This story has officially passed 100 reviews! :D:D *confetti falls out of everywhere and fireworks go off* Yay! Yay! Yay!**_

_**And the hundredth reviewer was MileeyRayCyrus! That means that you need to choose between these alternatives on what you want to know more of and I'll give you a special little treat:**_

**_* Dani and Damon's relationship._**

**_* William._**

**_* Mason Lockwood (I have a plan for him to enter this story! And it doesn't involve Katherine!) or any other werewolves._**

**_* Jenna & Rick's wedding._**

**_So you tell me in a review what you want to know more about and I'll send it to you and I might give you another sneak peak of the new story which I still haven't decided the name on. =/ Anyway congratulations! ;)_**

**_Now on with this story! Please review in the end! Okay?_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle, William, Natalia and Nikolai. ;)_**

* * *

_**(No Point of View)**_

The rest of July passed quickly and it was now the middle of August in Mystic Falls. It was still pretty warm outside but sometimes cold winds blew in from the north. Danielle was sitting on the porch outside the Salvatore Boarding house and was reading a book as the wind suddenly changed direction. She looked up and stared across the street. For a second she saw a glimpse of a shadow and shuddered. All of the sudden a blanket was put around her shoulders and she jumped on reflex.

"Damon!" She gasped. "Don't ever sneak up on me again." She said sternly. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Since when can I sneak up on you? I just got lucky today I guess." He said and sat down next to her. "What are you reading?" He asked and she shrugged.

"Just a book. I'm not really reading it though. Scanning would be a more proper word." She said and he put an arm around her.

"I've been thinking Dani..." He trailed off.

"Oh, really? About what?" She asked and he looked at her.

"Over a month has passed since you and Jenna had your little '_talk_'- Which I by the way assume was about me.- and you still haven't told me what it was all about." He said and she looked at him.

"I wont tell you Damon." She said and he rolled her eyes at her.

"Come on Dani... We both know you can't keep secrets from me." He leaned in and softly kissed her neck. She shook her head.

"No." She said and he looked at her.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to get Jenna off of vervain long enough to compell her." He told her and she looked at him.

"Do that. It'll be fun to see you try to get her off of her favorite perfume she got from her niece." Danielle said smugly.

"Or I just might not tell you what I found yesterday." He said and her eyes brightened up. "About little Miss Forbes." He added.

"What are you doing?" She asked him and he shrugged.

"Can't you notice? I'm manipulating you." He said and did his eye thingy. She chuckled.

"No. You are _trying _to manipulate me." She said and stood up walking inside. He walked after her and followed her into the kitchen.

"Dani, our lives would be so much easier if you just told me." He said playing with a knife as Danielle pulled out two glasses and filled them with some scotch. She glanced outside and then turned back to him.

"Fine." She said and Damon's eyes glistened with mischief.

"You're going to tell me? Just like that?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Yes. I'll tell you. _Just like that_." She said and drowned one of the glasses completely. Damon reached for the other one but Danielle drowned that one too. "Jenna said that you're afraid of commitment. Or should I say, getting married." She told him and he chuckled.

"Why would she say that?" He asked and Danielle shrugged.

"Because you actually _froze _when she mentioned that we should 'save it for the wedding'. She thinks you might have thought she was talking about us before you realized it was their wedding she was talking about." Danielle filled another glass of scotch and turned to him. He seemed to be lost, thinking.

"So what did you tell her?" He asked looking up at her.

"I told her that we are just having fun for now and that we don't know where things are going yet. No one as talked about marriage or any other commitment like that so I just see no reason to discuss it now either." She explained and he nodded.

"I agree totally." He said and she smiled.

"I knew you would." She raised the glass and was about to drown that one as well but he stopped her. She looked at him, curiosity written all over her face.

"But." He said taking the glass from her and putting it on the counter. "Let's say hypothetically, if I _were _to ask you to marry me- What would you say?" He asked and she looked at him. 27 seconds passed and she didn't say anything. It felt like years of silence for both of them until she finally answered.

"I would probably ask you if you were serious." She said and her eyes glistened for a second.

"And if I told you I was?" He pressed and she looked up and smiled.

"I would say that you're crazy." She answered honestly. "Look, Damon. I don't know why you are asking me these questions but I think that we really should focus on what we have right now." She said and he was next to her in less than a second.

"But what if we don't have _this_-" He motioned between the two of them and continued. "-for much longer? According to you, if William finds us we will both be dead." Danielle looked at him through her long lashes. "What if now is all we got? Would you marry me if you knew we only had today to live?" He asked her and she looked up at him.

"What is wrong with you?" She whispered and put both of her hands on his cheeks. He shut his lips together.

"Is it possible for a vampire to compell another vampire?" He asked her and she froze. She knew what this was about. It was all about the dream he had when they were at that hotel.

"Why do you ask?" She asked him and he looked away. She pulled his face back so that he would look her in the eyes. "Damon, you can talk to me." She whispered.

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

"Just like you talk to me right?" He asked and I shook my head.

"If you don't trust me then you might as well drive a stake through my-" He put his hand over my mouth.

"Stop!" He said and I shuddered removing his hand. He looked me in the eyes for a second and then his eyes widened. "You already know, don't you?" He asked me and I looked down.

"Yes." I finally answered. "It was just a dream Damon." I told him and he shook his head.

"No. This might have been something else. Like a clue or something." He told me and I shook my head.

"That isn't even possible. How can a vampire compell another vampire?" I asked him and he shrugged.

"You said yourself that you don't know how strong nor how old William really is. Maybe he is like one of the oldest ones. A very, _very _powerful vampire." He said and I shuddered.

"I don't even want to think about that." I said and he nodded.

"Just like you said once Dani. We _need _to talk about this. To prepare ourselves for what might come. But then of course, when I suggested we just drive a stake through his heart you said no." He said and I had to chuckle.

"Look, if we manage to kill him we wont have any more problems. Then we can finally just be the awesome power couple together. But hopefully we wont have to worry about any of this until after Jenna and Ric's wedding." I told him and he nodded. "Now, how about we go to the Grill and have some special time, just me and you?" I asked and he got a look on his face. I didn't need my mind reading powers to tell what he was thinking about. "Not _that _type of special time." I told him and his smile dropped. "Maybe tonight though. Depending of course." I said and he smiled again, claiming my lips in a passionate kiss.

_**(No Point Of View)**_

It was in an abandoned warehouse about thirty miles from Mystic Falls, that they had finally settled. William was sitting on a bed in they had put in a dark room and he was smoking his sixth cigar for the day. The door opened and one of his '_friends_' walked inside. Her blond hair went down to her waist and her brown irises were almost completely covered by the pupil. She sprung at him and straddled him on the bed. He didn't even drop the cigar. He just looked at her smugly and exhaled the smoke in her face.

"William." She said, a slight accent in her voice. "Nikolai and I found the girl. She is in Mystic Falls, just like you thought she would be." She said and leaned down to kiss his neck.

"Were is Nikolai?" William asked her and she tilted her head, pulling away from him.

"He isn't here yet. He stayed behind to see where she was going. We can find some time for us now. Finally." She breathed and took the cigar out of his hand and put it out on the bed sheet.

"Natalia." He murmured huskily. "You know I don't want you like I want _her_."

"Pochemu ne tak li?" _Why don't you? _She asked him and he shrugged.

"Potomu chto vy ne takie privlekatel´nye, kak ona." _Because you are not as appealing as she is. _He answered her. Natalia smiled at him.

"Do you remember William? When you found me and Nikolai?" She asked and let herself down on his chest. He looked into her eyes. Of course he remembered. The two Russian tourists who had found his secret hideout and made it into his bed. Human lovers, William had thought when he first smelled them out but he quickly changed his mind about that. Fortunately for them William had been in a good mood that day and let them live. He turned them both and Natalia had lost interest in Nikolai and began to 'play' with William instead. Except of course, _he_ was the one playing with her. The two of them had been with William for a a good couple of years now. They had been with him in the house when he captured Danielle and they had been the ones to do some of his dirty work while he was too busy to do it himself.

"Yes, my dear." He said and played with her hair. "How could I forget?" She purred and gently kissed his neck again.

"Please William. Make me the happiest woman on earth and make love to me before Nikolai get's home." She whispered and he chuckled darkly.

"You're a vampire." He said. "Vampires don't beg. They just _take _whatever they want, when they want it." With those word he flipped them over and crashed his lips against hers. They pulled away hearing the door open. William turned around and looked at Nikolai who looked angry but hopeless.

"Any news?" He asked sitting up and Natalia gasped when he didn't even look at her anymore. Nikolai nodded.

"Yes. Danielle and that Salvatore brother are going to a pub or restaurant or whatever it is they call it here." He said, glaring at Natalia. She just blew him a kiss and then looked at William in admiration. "I think we should move out and get her before we lose track of her again." Nikolai said and flipped his black hair out of his eyes. William laughed.

"_You _want us to get her before we lose her?" He asked amused. Then it all happened very fast. William pushed Natalia away from him and onto the bed and then quickly grabbed Nikolai by the throat and pushed him up against the wall. Natalia cried out in agony, seeing her former, and still sometimes present, lover being tortured by William's look. "Don't you think I know how nice you were to Danielle last time I captured her? Or the time before that? I honestly thought you were the one who let her free but then Angelica told me she had and we all know what happened to her after that." Nikolai's eyes widened.

"I was never nice to her." He denied hopelessly.

"I heard you two. I heard the way you talked to her. With _love_. You fell for her charms didn't you?" William asked. He was actually amused by the thought of it. Danielle charming another man, just like she had with him. He let go of Nikolai.

"Are you going to kill me?" Nikolai asked, rubbing his sore throat. William smirked.

"Not _yet_. And we will not go and get Danielle. Not yet anyway. We will wait for a while. She doesn't have to know we're here. If she finds out she might leave- although I highly doubt that. She has found another boy toy of hers here in Mystic Falls." He said darkly and then looked at Natalia who still looked at him, filled with lust. "Don't bother me in my room. I need to think." He told her and her face dropped.

"Yes Master." She obliged and William nodded curtly, walking out of the room. Nikolai looked at Natalia.

"Natalia-" He breathed but she slapped him across the face.

"Ublyudok!" _Bastard! _She exclaimed. "I told you never to long for the people William wants!" She told him and slapped him again. Nikolai grabbed her arms before she could slap him again.

"I longed for you, didn't I?" He told her. "And William has never wanted you. He just wants Danielle." He said and she glared at him.

"I'll show both you and him that I am better than _her._" She growled. "You'll see. I'll find her on my own and kill her before he get's the chance to capture her again. That way he can finally give in to me instead." She said and Nikolai grabbed her arm.

"You are not supposed to hurt her! You heard what William said." He whispered and she shook her head.

"I don't care. William can't love me until his _bond _with Danielle is broken. And the only way for that to happen is if she doesn't live anymore." Natalia said and she was out of the warehouse before Nikolai had a chance to stop her.

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

I smirked at Damon as he ordered another drink.

"You are not getting me drunk tonight." I told him and he chuckled handing me a glass.

"We'll see." He said and I smiled as he picked up his own glass and leaned closer to my ear.. "Cheers to not getting married." He whispered and I could feel his breath on my neck. I nodded and lifted the glass in sync with him.

"Cheers." I said and we clinked the glassed together. I looked over at Matt who was cleaning some of the tables. "I really want to know what you were going to say about Caroline before." I told Damon and he gave me a little look and I stared at him. "There _isn't _anything going on with her is there?" I asked him and he smiled smugly. "You are still the same bad ass guy you used to be!" I exclaimed, although happily.

"Cheers to that as well!" He said and we once again drowned our glasses.

"Hey, Dani." Matt said behind me and I turned around.

"Hi Matt." I exclaimed happily. "Long time since we talked." I smiled and Matt nodded.

"You haven't been around for a while." He stated and I nodded.

"Yeah, sorry about that." I mumbled and he gave me a typical Matt-smile.

"It's okay Dani. I've been busy anyway." He said and I laughed as he motioned to Caroline who was waiting patiently at a table in the corner.

"It's good to hear that things are working out okay for you and Caroline." I smiled back and he nodded. Damon cleared his throat and I looked at him. "Oh right. Matt, you know Damon." I said and Damon waved a finger at him and Matt nodded.

"Of course I do. You're Stefan's brother." He said and Damon nodded.

"And Dani's boyfriend." Damon added and Matt looked at me.

"Really?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, we've been together for approx two months now." I smiled and Matt laughed.

"Well now I know the reason you stopped coming to the Grill. You've been busy as well." He stated and I nodded.

"Yeah I have." I said tilting my head. "Hi Caroline." I said as the blond approached.

"Hi Danielle." She said and smiled uncertainly. "How are you? Elena said that you've been sick for a while when I asked her why you were never seen around in town." She said and her eyes flashed to Damon for a second but quickly turned back to me.

"Oh, I'm better now. Thank you for asking though." I said and she nodded turning to Matt.

"When does your shift end again?" She asked and he smiled at her.

"Let me check." he said, walking around the counter. He put on the TV and I felt myself go stiff.

"Turn it up Matt." I told him and he obliged. He had coincidentally put on just in time for the news. I stared at the screen and fell horrified by what I saw.

"_The corpse of Victor Lancaster was found today in the afternoon by a couple of hikers_." I turned to look at Damon who just shushed me and continued to watch. "_The police stated that this must have been a murder considering that the corpse had been hidden in the woods, around five __kilometers from the place Lancaster worked and lived. Now onto our reporter on place, Mr. __Hannigan can you hear me?_" The news lady asked and a new frame was pulled up with a man standing next to he policeman in charge.

"_Yes Hannah, we are here live with Sheriff Darryl who was the first one to get to the place. Mr. Darryl, can you please tell me how the police can know for sure that this was a murder?_" He asked and the Sheriff shifted slightly.

"_We know for sure since we found a letter on the poor young lad. We think it might have been an ex-girlfriend or something like that, because there are some bite marks on him and there was a note in his pocket._" The man looked at him confused and I felt myself getting sicker and sicker by the moment. I subconsciously took Damon's hand in mine and he squeezed it gently.

"_A note?_" The man asked and the Sheriff nodded.

"_Yes. It said '_You should have called_' and that is all I can say for now. The investigation will go on but I am not authorized to say anything else about the matter. Thank you._" He said and left the scene. The reporter continued and said that there will be updates on the case and then there was a little discussion between the news lady and the reporter. I couldn't listen to it anymore. I felt sick.

"That's just awful." Caroline said, still staring at the screen. I looked at her.

"I know." I said.

"Who would do such a thing to a poor guy?" Matt asked no one in particular.

_I know_,I sent out mentally to Damon and he looked at me. _He should have called? Who do you think it is? _I thought in a obvious tone. _He knew we had been there Damon. He knew. He knows everything. _

"Dani. I think we better head home." Damon said and I nodded.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Bye Caroline. Bye Matt." I said and they simply nodded.

"Bye." They said and Damon and I walked out of the Grill together.

It had gotten dark already and there was a cold wind blowing through the streets. Damon and I began to walk home slowly. We had actually run here after I suggested we needed to work out if we wanted to keep being in shape.

"How could he have known?" I muttered more to myself than to Damon but he answered.

"Yous said so yourself. He just knows everything." He told me and I nodded.

"But that means he has a trace on me. And that means it wont take long until he get's here and-" I stopped walking abruptly. "Do you smell that?" I asked, just like I had asked Stefan at the club that time. Damon was about to reply when someone knocked him to the ground. I hissed and jumped to defend him when the person turned around. At first I thought my eyes were tricking me, but then I knew this was no mistake. I would recognize those brown eyes anywhere and the long waist long blond hair.

"Natalia." I hissed just as she gave me a wicked smile, preparing to attack.

* * *

**_A/N: Oooooo! :O What is going to happen? duh-duh-duh-duuuuh! Hehe... So review a lot and I'll update faster and ___****MileeyRayCyrus please tell me what you want to know more about ;) Congrats again and much love to all of you!**

**____****Next one to who might win a "PRIZE" is the 150th reviewer! ;) If I pass that I will be very, very happy and I really hope you will help me pass that! :)**

**____****Thank you for reading everything and God bless all of you!**

**____****xoxo**

**____****Spicy**


	21. Chapter 21

**_A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in a while, I hope you can forgive me for that :) I've had a lot of school work to do and I still have things going on at home, but I'm really doing my best. :) Oh and I hope you've all checked out my other TVD story: Meant To Be, I hope you like it and if you have, please review okay?_**

**_Now please enjoy this, shorter, chapter! :)_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with TVD! I just own Dani, William, Natalia, Nikolai and any other OC mentioned in the story! ;)_**

* * *

Natalia looked at me and smirked in a way only she could.

"Vy uznaete menya." _You recognize me. _She said and looked at me. "Daniella." She mocked and I shot her a glare. She still had her foot on Damon's chest and he hadn't moved yet. I was guessing he was either unconscious or trying to figure out who Natalia was.

"Actually, you know it is Danielle." I told her and began to walk around her slowly. She gave me look and I continued to talk to her. "Does William know you're here? We both know how much he hates when people take mattes into their own hands." She stepped off of Damon and began to circle with me. "He hasn't given you a ring I see." I stated looking at her hand and her eyes flashed down and she stretched them. "He gave me one." I said and lifted my hand, where the lapis lazuli ring glistened.

"Why don't we go home to your place?" She asked suddenly stopping her circulation. "People might hear when I kill you and it would be so much easier for me if they didn't." I tilted my head and slowly nodded. I quickly ran to Damon's side.

"Damon?" I whispered shaking him a little. He had been unconscious. I shook him a little again and he groaned.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother." He mumbled and I offered him a small smile.

"Get up Damon." I told him. _And don't make a single move until I tell you to_. I added in my mind and he looked at me. "Everything will be alright." I said loud enough for Natalia to hear. _I don't know if she knows about me and my powers but I don't want to risk it_. I helped Damon up and he glared at Natalia, who was looking amused at us, tapping a finger to her cheek.

"Natalia Romanov, this is Damon Salvatore." I said and motioned to Natalia. "Damon, Natalia Romanov, William's minion."

"William's _lover_." She corrected and I chuckled.

"I hardly think William gave in to your crazy demands. After all-" I knew my eyes had glistened in mischief at that point. "-he is still hung up on me." Natalia hissed and Damon began to step between us but I stopped him. "She wont do anything Damon. This is a public place and she doesn't even have a ring. She knows I can keep her busy here until the sun comes up because I am after all a fiew hundred years older than her." Damon slowly nodded and looked at Natalia.

"If you ever attack me again I'll rip your head off in less than a heartbeat." He told her and Natalia smirked amused.

"You sure have a way of choosing your men, Danielle." Natalia said, looking at Damon like he was the lamb and she was the big bad wolf. I stepped forward to attack but Damon stopped me.

"Don't _honey_." He said with emphasis on 'honey'. I looked at him.

"Oh, honey. This must be serious Danielle." Natalia mocked. Damon turned to her.

"It is." He said. "She's my fiancée." I stopped moving and turned to him.

_Don't play with fire Damon._ I thought to him and he just smiled at me.

_Play along for once_. And I did.

"Is it true?" Natalia asked. She seemed to have been taken aback by Damon's words. I slowly began to nod.

"Let's go home shall we?" I asked and Natalia very slowly agreed.

_Text Stefan and tell him to get Elena out of the house. Do it quickly so that she wont notice._ I told Damon and he squeezed my hand.

_I already did, when I was 'unconscious'. _I smiled to myself, proud to have a boyfriend with magic fingers.

* * *

Natalia walked into the Salvatore Boarding house without hesitation. She looked around amused and picked up my copy of Romeo & Juliet.

"No living person lives in this house?" She asked first, looking at Damon. Then she turned to me and smirked waving the book in my face. "And you still read this _der'mo_?" She asked and I gave her a look, taking the book from her hands.

"Yes and yes. I do still read this crap." I said and glared at her. "Does William know where I am Natalia?" I asked her.

"You are cutting to the chase." She stated, sitting down on the couch. "I like it Danielle. And no. William does not know that you are here and neither does Nikolai." My heart stopped. "You should be glad that they don't know of your engagement." She said and looked at Damon.

"Did William kill Nikolai?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No, but he knows about you and him." She said.

"Why did you come here?" I snapped and she jumped, standing up.

"Because I wanted to kill you. I have told you that already!" She hissed.

"Then kill me!" I yelled at her and she attacked. Damon pushed me out of the way and she jumped him instead, stabbing him with a pocketknife in the chest. She stood up again, her eyes black and her veins showing around them and looked at me. She took something out of her pocket and threw the item at me. I dodged it and ran to her, slamming into her and we fell to the floor together. I was on top of her and she glared up at me.

"Whore." She said calmly. I hissed at her and looked over at Damon. "Don't you know that William will find you wherever you go? And he will kill your friends an everyone you love just like he did last time." I ignored her completely although I put her words somewhere in the back of my mind.

"Are you okay?" I asked him and he pulled the pocketknife out of himself.

"Yeah. I am. If she's a vampire she should know that this wouldn't hurt me." He stated and threw the knife to the floor. I nodded and looked at Natalia again.

"It was just a distraction, wasn't it?" I asked her and she nodded. She was bleeding from her mouth and nose and I looked at her. "William didn't send you. He doesn't know where I am, does he?" She nodded.

"I haven't said anything to him. I figured I could lie and say that you were killed by someone else and he would finally be with me." She confessed and I tried to look into her mind. For some reason I couldn't.

"William never told you the truth about my mother, did he?" I asked her and she looked up at me.

"What truth?" She snapped.

"That she was a witch and that I inherited mind reading from her?" Natalia's face changed. _She didn't know._

"He lied to me!" She cried out and began to cry. She was devastated for some reason. I stared at her confused. "Let go of me! I wont kill you!" She yelled and I slowly began to get off of her. Damon was still prepared to fight if something changed. Natalia was up again on her legs, shaking with sobs. I walked over to Damon and he put an arm around me. He whispered so that only I could hear.

"We have to kill her. She might report back to William." I nodded curtly and stepped aside. Then I heard it. A simple snap and Natalia had thrown the stake at Damon. I was quick to move and stood in front of him, but I wasn't quick enough to catch the stake. Everything stopped...

* * *

Natalia screamed out in pure joy. "I did it!" She yelled and laughed, throwing her head back. Then she stopped. I looked at her and saw blood spreading, where her heart had been and she fell to the floor already rotting. Behind her was Stefan, Elena and Alaric. Alaric had fired a stake with his stake gun and killed Natalia. I felt Damon catch me as I fell and Elena and Stefan ran to my side. Then I gasped for air.

"Get it out of me!" I yelled at Stefan who was hesitating. "She missed my heart by three inches! That stupid schmuck must have failed biology." I said and Stefan pulled the stake out. Alaric examined Natalia's body and I sat up. "God damn it." I muttered, rubbing my wound.

"Dani. Who the hell was she?" Stefan asked sounding worried as they helped me stand up. I looked at Natalia.

"A part of my past." I muttered walking toward the kitchen, but nearly falling over. Stefan and Damon caught me and I looked at them thankfully. "Her name was Natalia Romanov and she was one of William's minions." I told them running a hand through my hair. "She was a Russian tourist with her fiancée Nikolai one summer around thirty years ago and William had found them in his bed together. They had found his secret hideout and instead of killing them, he turned them, which is still basically the same thing." I said shrugging.

"So _now _you have decided to go all out with all the details?" Damon said sarcastically. "And what the hell happened between you and that Nikolai dude?" He asked and I looked at him.

"No reason to be jealous Damon. I knew him before I ever knew you." I stated and they helped me towards the couch where they made me sit down. "Elena. Sit." I said and motioned to the place next to me. She looked at Damon and then at me.

"Are you sure you don't want-"

"I'm sure." I said not looking up. She sat down next to me and the three men looked at me.

"So now, will you please continue? Who is Nikolai?" Damon pressed on and I continued.

"He is also one of William's minions but he has no other choice. He is only staying long enough to see if William will find him a ring. Nikolai was the unfortunate bastard who fell in love with me once when William captured me. Everytime William would leave to hunt or something, Nikolai came into the room and nursed my wounds. Natalia had broken off their engagement after she was turned, she found that William was a much bigger man that Nikolai would ever be, but that wasn't really true." I told them. Damon glared at me.

"I don't know if I should put this _Nikolai _on the good or the bad list." He stated and I looked up at him.

"Both." I told him, flashing back to the first time Nikolai and I talked.

* * *

_**1981**_

_The room was dark and cold but it wasn't a basement. I wasn't prepared this time. I was never prepared for when he would find me. I closed my eyes, feeling the pain of the vervain drained ropes that tied my feet and hands to the bed. At least this time it's more comfortable, I thought to myself and I heard the door open. A tall, muscular man with black hair and gray eyes walked in. He was wearing a simple shirt and a pair of black pants._

"_You must be Daniella." He said quietly. He had an accent. Russian, if I was correct._

"_Danielle actually." I corrected him, barely recognizing my own voice. "William sent you up today? What he got tired of using his own force and decided to send a professional to beat me until I agreed?" The man cringed and shook his head._

"_I do not care for William." He told me and I tried to look him in the eyes._

"_Then why are you here?" I asked him. "If William didn't send you then he-" I stopped. "When did he turn you?" I asked suddenly and the man shifted uneasily._

"_A year ago. I still haven't gotten used to it." I looked at him._

"_I feel sorry for you." I told him and he cracked a sad smile._

"_Me too. My ex-fiancée feels otherwise. She says this is a blessing for us." He told me and I nodded._

"_It isn't." I said curtly and he nodded back at me._

"_I know." He shifted a little and looked at the window where the curtains had been pulled out. "He didn't give us a daylight-ring." He told me. "All he did was fill us in on what you had done to him. How you refused to marry him and how he killed you so that you could be together forever in the afterlife." The man told me._

"_And what did you think of his marvelous story?" I asked him bitterly. He reached into his pocket and took out something. A little white napkin._

"_I felt only more hatred towards him," He explained. "but I felt sorry for you." Then he slowly began to dab my right arm. At first I expected pain, my mind was of course screaming _vervain_, but then I felt nothing else but water. I let out a small gasp and he stopped. "Did I hurt you Miss?" He asked politely and I shook my head._

"_No. Thank you." I told him. He was washing off the blood that William had left to dry on my arms. There were still small cuts and bruises visible, even if that would be impossible for a vampire. I looked the man in the eyes. "What's your name?" I asked him and he offered me a crocked smile._

"_Nikolai Volkov."_

_End of Flashback_

* * *

All eyes were on me now and I just sighed deeply, looking at Damon. He rolled his eyes at me and began to stare me out.

"He helped me Damon. But at the same time he was always afraid of William. That's why you can't be a hundred percent sure that he is good." I said and suddenly Alaric put his hands up in the air.

"Okay I'm a little confused here. No one has filled me in on anything. All I got is a call from Stefan to meet him outside the house as soon as possible and to bring a stake-gun and vervain darts. Now tell me, _who _is this William guy?" I stared at him and remembered.

_No one has filled you in on my case?_ Alaric jumped and stared at me.

"What was that?" He asked, staring at me. "Did you just...?"

_Yes._

"But that is-"

_Impossible? That's what I thought the first time it happened. _I lifted my hand up. "Take my hand." I said and Alaric stared.

"You want me to... Take your hand...?" Alaric asked and laughed uneasily. "Okay." He said and reached forward.

"No!" Elena exclaimed, standing between us. She looked at me and I noticed she was scared.

"What Elena? It will be so much easier if I just _showed _him instead of telling him about everything that has happened." Elena shook her head.

"No Dani. Last time you did that you were out for hours, and when you woke up you said that you had seen your sister." Elena said and I looked at her.

"I'll be fine." I said, and once again tried to reach for Alaric's hand but this time Damon pushed it out of my reach.

"Elena's right." He said sternly. "That's enough Dani." He said and I stared at him. "You almost _died _two minutes ago." I looked at him. He was angry, _I think_.

"Damon. I'll be fine. Trust me." I said and he shook his head.

"Go to your room and rest." He ordered and I stared at him.

"What the hell?" I asked him. "You can't tell me what to do." I told him and he snorted.

"Watch me." He mocked and I began to stand up to hit him but _Elena _pushed me down again. That meant that Elena was stronger than me.

"You..." I began looking at Damon, but then I sighed. "Thanks for coming you guys." I said looking at Elena and Alaric. "But I think I need to talk to Stefan and Damon alone. Will you excuse us?" I asked and they slowly nodded. "Elena, can you fill Ric in on what you know about William?" She nodded and once again I thanked her. They walked out of the living room and went to the library instead. I turned to look at Damon and Stefan. Then I said ten words that changed every single emotion in the room.

"I don't think I can live with you guys anymore."

* * *

**_A/N: Oh no! What is Dani up to now? :O Haha, like I said earlier, this chapter was shorter than the last one but I really wanted to get it out there and please believe me when I tell you guys that everything WILL work out in the end (which btw I've noticed is a long, LONG way from where we are now). Please trust me and don't be mad at me okay!_**

**_And I know some of you wanted me to keep Natalia on for a while but I just couldn't do it. I was afraid that if I had made her go away, William would have found out and then had to put his 'plan' in motion. If you really want to know what I was thinking when I wrote Natalia and Nikolai in on the story, then here it goes: I needed two characters that were somehow connected to each other and at the same time got tangled into Danielle's life with William. Of course one had to be psycho and the other one should be a little nicer :) And there came Natalia and Nikolai, the two Russian tourist with bad luck :) Oh and obviously Danielle knows Russian too since she could understand what Natalia was saying ;) That brings me to wonder, how did she learn it and does she know any other languages? I mean in over 200 years you have to travel a lot right? And not to mention that she has lived in France for a couple of years :)_**

**_Intresting..._**

**_Well, anyway, Natalia wasn't really that important to the future of the story, that is why I killed her off in this chapter. She might make it back in some flashbacks, but I'm not promising anything. And I just thought you should know that (SPOILER ALERT!) Nikolai is actually the one who will be making something great happen in the future of this story... Who knows? That poor gys might be the answer to a lot of things in Danielle's life..._**

**_Hehe... Oh! Before I forget! One more thing! ((SPOILERS FOR THE DESCENT AND DADDY ISSUES! IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED DON'T READ!)) _**

**_I DID watch The Descent and I totally shed a tear with Damon! =O I LOVED him and Rose together in the end! It was so sweet and at the same time heartbreaking, but hey! What are ya gonna do right? I mean, if they would have found a cure for Rose the things with the werewolves wouldn't have been so bad. Now Damon, Stefan and Caroline know that they have to watch their backs, instead of going like "Whatever, bite me. I'll just go and drink the cure anyway...". And daddy issues was awesome as well. I'm hoping to see Caroline and Tyler forgive each other and get together or something because I just love their chemistry! _**

**_Wow that was a long authors note, but I think I covered everything I wanted covered. Haha ^^_**

**_Please review and make me happy! Then I might put the next chapter up (which I already have written but am still looking over and editing) sooner! =)_**

**_And thank you for reading =)_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**

_**P.S. I'm thinking about making a third story in the Tough Love series... What do you think about that idea? ;)**_


	22. Chapter 22

**_A/N: Okay so I felt a little bad for keeping you waiting, so I decided to update now. Anyway, the next chapter might not come in a while and with that I mean like a week or so because I have a lot of studying this week but next week I have like a form of "februari break" or so. Anyway I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and review A LOT more than you did on the last one otherwise I wont update in like a month =/ Yeah, I'm serious haha ^^ Or am I? Do you really want to risk it?_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle, but if I did own TVD I would definively NOT have made Tyler leave! (Sorry if I spoiled for you who haven't seen crying wold yet! :O)_**

* * *

All hell broke loose. Well at least for Damon's part. He stared at me and began to yell things and was throwing his hands up in the air and yelled some more and then after a few minutes he stopped. Stefan had been quiet during his whole tantrum.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Damon asked me again. "You can't live with us anymore? Who the hell said that?" He asked and I bit my lip.

"Well, I did." I said numbly and he looked at me. His intense eyes bored into my head and I felt as if everything was just going to get worse by the minute. "Damon, you don't understand. Every single second I'm with you guys, I'm putting you in danger. And frankly, I don't want that. I care too much about you and it is going to get us all killed if William finds me." Damon kept staring at me.

"If William finds you. That is everything you ever talk about Dani! Everytime we begin to relax, he comes to your mind and then we have a fight and then you get mad and leave the house or lock yourself up in your room! It's getting very tiresome!" He yelled and I stood up from the couch.

"Don't you get it Damon?" I yelled back at him. "I _can't _stay here! It doesn't mean that I don't _want _to stay here! Do you really think that I would like to leave you guys and never see you again? No! You are my family and I love you for that!" I yelled and Damon stopped talking. "Tonight you saw what William did! On the TV! He killed a guys just because I talked to him! He killed Victor! Snapped his neck like a little twig!" I was breathing hard and now my eyes were stinging as I tried to hold back the tears. "Victor wasn't the first one William has killed because of me! Last year after I escaped, I lived with a couple of vampires in New York for a while. A month after I left, they were on the news. _Four people killed- drug deal gone bad, _that was what they said on the news! They figured it had something to do with gang members because the corpses had letters written on them." I said and a single tear dropped onto the carpet. I couldn't continue anymore.

"Inad." Stefan said and I looked at him.

"What?" Damon snapped and Stefan explained.

"Those were the letters written across the corpses stomachs." Stefan explained. "I tried telling you but you had locked yourself in your room." He said and Damon just shrugged.

"So? What does that have to..." He trailed off. "Backwards the letters spell _Dani_." Damon had finally figured it out.

"I just can't live with the fact that you might get hurt just because you are my friends and because I really care about you." I told them. "Damon I'm so sorry, but I can't be with you anymore either. It puts you in danger and I don't want you to be killed or hurt because of me." Damon was glaring at me and I couldn't help but feel sad.

"So you're just giving up then?" He snapped at me. "_You_ are giving up. You are like the most head strong person I know in the world! You are even more strong headed than Elena! And you are giving up on us! On _everything_!" Stefan took that as a cue to leave. He went to the library to join Elena and Alaric as I looked up at Damon.

"You don't understand how much this hurts me Damon. I want to stay with you and with Stefan because I lo- _care _deeply for you. I am just scared and that is what all of you should be too. Please don't make this harder than it already is." I begged him tears threatening to fall and he looked away. I reached towards his hand and he pulled it away from me and my heart shattered there.

"I don't care anymore Danielle. Do whatever you want." He told me and began to walk away.

"So you aren't going to say anything then? Is that it Damon? We're over?" I yelled at him and he turned around. He swallowed and took a deep breath.

"We can never be over Danielle. We have a stronger bond than anything I have ever felt and I just don't want to hear your crap anymore. You are basically telling me that you will risk your own life and happiness in order to save me and Stefan. We can protect ourselves." He said, a little to calmly and it was freaking me out.

"No you can't. Not against William."

"I don't care! I'll protect you because I want to and you can't stop me from doing that!" He snapped.

"I don't _want _you to protect me! I have told you millions and millions of times already! I don't need your protection Damon! I don't need it but you apparently need mine!" I yelled at him.

"I don't need your protection! You saw what happened yourself tonight! You took that stake for me and I never wanted you to do that! You could have gotten killed and then I might as well just have killed myself!"

"You would never kill yourself Damon!" I told him in a serious and loud tone.

"But I would for you!" I stopped him by kissing him fiercely. I wanted to tell him right now that I loved him but I just couldn't. Then he would never let me go. Damon kissed back and gently began to pull me towards the couch and pushed me down on it. He laid down on top of me and kissed me again softly caressing my cheek while doing so. I pulled away and looked up in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered to him and he shut his eyes and put his head in the crook of my neck and just stayed there. I heard him inhale through his nose as if he was trying to remember my scent.

* * *

Damon and I stayed like that for a fiew minutes. I never wanted to leave this moment. For once neither of us was thinking about our problems. We were just thinking about each other and how much we truly cared.

_If I only had a moment to live, I would freeze this moment and stay like this forever_. I said through my mind and he kissed my neck.

_You know we will never be over Dani. You _want _me too much for that_. He thought back a little smugly, ruining the moment we were having.

"I think we have already established that _you _are the one who wants _me_." I told him and he pulled away and smirked.

"But you are obviously leaving me and that means that you will still want me afterward. No woman who has had _this_-" He motioned to himself. "-has ever gotten over it. Unless I decided to be underneath of course." He added and I glared at him.

"Sometimes I forget that you've played almost as much girls as I've played guys." I told him and his smirk faded. "Yes Damon. I wasn't a virgin before I met you. I mean come on, what was I supposed to do when I was in France? And when I lived with five guys in Berlin a couple of years ago?"

"_Five_ guys?" Damon asked and I shrugged.

"Not at _once_." I smirked and he pulled away but smirked himself.

"I like you..." He said and leaned down claiming my lips again.

"I think Stefan, Elena and Ric are wondering what's going on."

"Keep them wondering. If you really are leaving me and this house then I want to at least have one last night with you." He said and stood up and picked me up bridal style.

"Damon, we can't." I said sternly.

"Tell Stefan to get out of here through your mind or whatever." I shook my head but kept my arms around his neck.

"We can't." I repeated but once he kissed me I gave up.

_Get Alaric and Elena out of here Stefan. And by the way, you should go too_. _Damon and I want some privacy._

_

* * *

_

Two hours later I was laying in Damon's arms and he was playing with a strand of my hair. I looked him in the eyes and he smiled a little.

"Do you still want to leave?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"I never wanted to leave Damon. I just have to." I told him again, just like I had several times before. "But I'm not leaving Mystic Falls. No more running." I said and he nodded.

"But where will you stay?"

"I don't know yet. I think I'll manage to fix something up with Mrs. Flowers or so. Or is there anyone you want to get rid off in case William turns up?" I asked him sarcastically and his lips twitched as he tried to hide a smile.

"How about that Lockwood kid?" He suggested and I shook my head.

"No. I actually think there might be something about Tyler. I sensed it when I saw him the first day I got back. There was something different in the air around him. Some new scent." He raised an eyebrow.

"You mean like something fishy?" He asked and I shrugged.

"No more like a wet dog or something." He chuckled.

"Well that's crazy I guess."

"Why can't we always be like this?" I asked him and he looked at me.

"How do you mean?" He asked curiously.

"Not fighting and not ripping each others throats out and not kissing or something else and just be normal and talk to each other like we are now." I explained.

"We are anything but normal Dani." He said and kissed me once on the lips and once on the back of my hand.

"I need to go and pack." I whispered to him sadly and he nodded.

"I will never leave you alone you know." He said as I put my robe on. "I'll bug the hell out of you and you will break and come back to me." I chuckled at his words.

"Good luck with that." I told him.

"You told me that the first time we began our little flirtatious conversations and actions and we both know that you fell for it in the end. What makes this so different?" He asked.

"That time I thought we weren't going to get serious. This time I know that we are and if something were to happen to you I would never forgive myself. I have self control Damon." I said and walked out of the room.

"Not enough to stay away from me completely." He called after me and I had to shake my head at his comment because I knew it was true. There was absolutely no way in hell that I would be able to stay away from Damon Salvatore.

* * *

An hour later I was standing down in the hallway. Stefan was there and so was Elena. I would drive her home before going to Mrs. Flowers to ask her to get a room or an apartment in her house.

"Stefan, you know I'm sorry about this." He nodded but I could see in his face that he wasn't happy.

"You don't have to stay away completely right? We can still talk and stuff if we see each other, which we probably will considering it's a small town." He said and I nodded.

"It's a small _world _Stefan." We heard a voice from upstairs. Damon descended the stairs, never taking his eyes off of my suitcase. "You didn't pack everything." He acknowledged.

"I'll send someone over to get the rest of my stuff. I don't want any traces of me being here if William shows up." I explained and he nodded. There was a tension hanging in the room and I could feel my heart beating faster and faster by the second.

"Uhm, Stefan and I'll get the suitcase in the car and get the engine started." Elena said and dragged Stefan along with her. I looked down at my feet as I heard them close the door behind them, leaving me and Damon alone.

"I just wanted-"

"Damon I-" We spoke at the same time and then just looked at each other. "You start." I said, feeling the clichéness of this moment. He sighed a little and then began.

"I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed spending time with you these months, even if they were sometimes filled with danger and a lot of arguing." He told me and I nodded.

"I feel the same way."

"And I also wanted to say that you didn't need to take that stake for me. I would have moved out of the way and you know it. I would have been able to kill Natalia and William if they had showed up to hurt you. I would have-" He stopped. A tear dropped from my eye and he stepped forward to wipe it away.

"Damon... I'm sorry, but I have to do this." I managed to say and he hugged me. That was all he did. He held me as I cried on his shoulder, just like I had done a couple of times before. Why did he always bring out my emotional side?

"Please don't Danielle. Please don't leave... Tell Stefan to get the suitcase back in and tell Elena to get another ride home. Please just, _stay with me_." He whispered to me and I shook my head as he held me even tighter against him.

"I can't..." I was shaking with sobs and he buried his nose in my hair.

"Please..." He was begging. Damon Salvatore was actually begging. I began to push him away from me but he refused to let go. He held on as if his life depended on it. "No..." He said and I shook my head.

"Damon, let go of me. Damon!" I said a little louder, still crying and still sobbing.

"No!" He shook his head and held on tighter.

"Damon, let go of me! Let go of me!" I practically had to yell so that my voice would come out as normal. "Just please! I can't! I can't be with you! I don't want to but I have to! Please just let go!" I said and finally managed to put together all of my strength to push him away. I cried and cried while I looked at him. "I'm so sorry." I said again and he stepped forward to kiss me but I stopped him with my hand on his chest. "Please don't. If you kiss me now I will never be able to get over this." I told him and yes I was still crying. This wasn't crying from grief like when I lost Rebecca, nor was it from fear like when William caught me. This was love. I was loosing my first real love and it was all because of my stupid mistake to get involved with my sisters boyfriend or whatever he was back then.

I took a step back. He looked like he was ready to cry himself. Another step and he stepped forward. I turned around and put my hand on the doorknob. I felt him grab my other hand and turn me around and once again embrace me in a tight hug. That was all we needed. No kissing could ever compare to this hug he gave me. It was filled with something I didn't even understand and it made me feel stronger as I stopped crying and just held onto him. We pulled apart and I put my hand to his cheek and then stood on my tiptoes and kissed his other cheek. I felt something wet fall down onto my lips and I felt the salty flavor linger. He cried for me. He actually cried.

"Goodbye Damon." I whispered as I let go and walked out of the house. I ran to the car and for the first time I noticed it had actually begun to rain.

"Danielle!" I heard him yell after me. I whipped around one last time to see him standing on the porch. This time Stefan was next to him and trying to keep him inside the house. "Don't do this to us! Don't leave!" He yelled, struggling with Stefan.

"Damon, don't- Calm down." Stefan tried to reason but all Damon could see was me. _Please don't Damon. Don't make this any harder than it already is_. I repeated sending it his way.

"Oh I'll make it as hard as I want to Danielle! Do you hear me! I'll make your life a living hell and don't expect me to leave you alone just because you moved out!" He yelled back at me and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Danielle, get in." Elena said in a stern voice and walked over to the drivers side of the car. "I'll drive. You're in no condition of driving yourself." She said and I got into the car. I could still hear Damon's voice from outside as Elena began to drive.

"I don't want to leave him Elena." I whispered to her and she took my hand.

"I know." She said and I choked back some tears. "Did you ever tell him the truth?" She asked and I immediately knew what she meant. Of course she had snapped up on my feelings.

"No Elena. If I would have told him I would have made things more difficult." I said and she nodded.

"I understand, but sometimes you just need to say it aloud and it might make you feel better." She told me and this time I nodded.

"If I say it, you wont tell anyone will you?" I asked and she shook her head.

"It will be our secret." Slowly I turned around to stare at the boarding house which was now only a dot in the distance.

"I love you." I whispered as another tear fell down my cheek and a piece of my heart was ripped in two. Later I figured out that the reason might be because half of it- or all of it- had stayed with Damon, where it truly belonged.

* * *

**_A/N: Now I'm curious =) What did you think? I know Damon might be ooc in this chapter as well but come on! I mean he is in love with this girl and she decided to move out and leave him just because she loves him back! There is only so much a man can take. =/_**

**_I think those of you who haven't checked out Meant to Be (MTB) should do so and review because I would like for that story to get a few more reviews before I continue it :) No pressure ;)_**

**_Anyway, those of you who have watched TVD all the way to episode 14 of season 2: What did you think of it? I don't know but in season one I absolutely HATED Tyler but now I'm kind of in love with him as well. I mean that transformation just GOT ME and a few tears as well. Hmmm =/ That is why I'm going to make Tyler much nicer now ^^ And you just wait until I get Mason into the story ;) Rawr..._**

**_Have an awesome fantastic superamazing day!_**

**_And thank you for reading ;)_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	23. Chapter 23

**_A/N: Okay so I know this chapter is short and all but believe me I have a real good reason for that. I haven't had time to write becasue I want to be spending more time with my mom. She's been sick for a while and still is and I have a feeling that it might not be so good. The other reason for why the chapter is so short is because of the lack of reviews. I really hope you'll review more because otherwise I don't think I'll ever finish this story =/ Or make a third one (which I might be planning to do!)._**

**_Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter! ;)_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with TVD! I just own Danielle and any other OC mentioned in the story!_**

**_P.S. Who watched The Dinner Party? OMG! That was by far the best episode of TVD history! And I just finished reading book 6 of The Vampire Diaries :)_**

* * *

_I kept running no matter what. _

_I couldn't stop. _

_Not now. Not ever. _

_I had to run._

_My long dress was being drawn in the mud as I ran through the woods. I could hear his footsteps from just a fiew hundred meters behind me. He could catch up whenever he wanted because I was just turned a fiew days ago. He was faster and stronger than me. I stopped for a millisecond and looked around. A flash of lightning went off and hit one of the tree trunks that had fallen down during the storm. I jumped to avoid another falling tree._

"_Danielle." I heard a voice behind me and I felt chills run up and down my spine as goosebumps spread across every inc of my body. My heart dropped. "There is no point in running. I will find you wherever you go." William told me. His eyes were black now and the veins around his eyes were showing._

"_You can't follow me into death. I will kill myself because I know that you are too proud to actually kill yourself." I told him, my voice shaking slightly. He threw his head back as he laughed menacingly._

"_You wont kill yourself Danielle." He laughed. "You can't because you want your revenge. I killed your sister. Coldblooded murder. They had to say it was a animal attack and they couldn't even recognize her at first. I had to help them of course and say that I hadn't seen Rebecca in a while but of course they later recognized her necklace..." He grabbed something around his neck and showed it to me. There was Rebecca's silver necklace, shaped as a heart and with a single diamond in the middle. She had gotten it when our father returned from Europe earlier this year and she treasured it more than anything in this world. "She told me that after I killed her, I could at least give it to you because she knew that you had always admired it. Do you know what I told her? I told her that she could count on it and then I began my tormenting-"_

_I had to do it. I pounced at William but he was faster and he slapped me so hard across the face that I fell to the ground._

"_Give it back!" I snarled at him as I once again stood up._

"_You will just have to take it from me." He mocked, dangling the chain in front of me._

_"Oh I will. The second after I kill you. And you can count on that."_

* * *

I opened my eyes and for a second I didn't know where I was. I sat up in my bed and looked around. Why was everything so small? This certainly wasn't my room in the Salvatore Boarding House. There was a knock on the door and on reflex I ran up to it and tried to recognize the heartbeats. Yes. It was possible.

"Elena?" I asked uncertainly.

"Good morning Dani. Jenna told me to check on you. She said she heard some noises up here and wanted me to make sure that Damon hadn't stopped by." I heard Elena's voice on the other side. Now I remembered.

I had been living here with Elena, Jeremy and Jenna for a fiew days. Elena had refused to let me go and live with Mrs. Flowers after everything I had been through. She wanted to make sure that I didn't hurt myself which she was sure I would find a way to do. When we had arrived at her house, Jenna had asked why I was crying and I told her that I had broken up with Damon. She immediately took me in without asking any other questions. Now she had banned Damon from the house entirely. He had showed up a few times and tried "to put some sense into my head" but I had just locked myself in my room and made sure that the windows were closed and covered so that he wouldn't be able to see me. I knew I would have to talk to him sometime and then I would probably have to talk to him like we're just friends or something but I knew he would probably try his usual ways on me.

"I'm good." I said and opened the door. Elena cringed when she saw me.

"God Dani. You look awful." She told me and I chuckled a little.

"Why thank you Elena." I told her and she shook her head.

"Maybe you should go out a little today. Some fresh air might do you good."

"No it wont." I said glumly and suddenly I think Elena realized what was going on.

"Dani..." She trailed off, looking at my pale and weak face. "Have you _fed_ anything since you got here?" She asked me and I gave her a crooked smile.

"I actually don't remember." I told her honestly. The truth was that I _didn't _remember. For some reason every time I dreamt about my past I got a black out and couldn't remember a thing that had happened the day before. Of course I remembered things roughly, like me and Damon breaking up, but not things like if I had eaten or fed or if I had actually been to the bathroom or something. I don't know why it's happening to me but I simply can't seem to remember to feed, and that was the _only _thing I could _never _remember.

"Let's go out." Elena said and I shook my head and quickly pulled back.

"No!" I said and she stared at me. "I can't Elena. What if _he _is out there? I can't see _him_." Elena's eyes widened a little.

"Dani, William isn't-"

"I'm not talking about William." I stated. Elena let out a sigh of relief.

"Dani, Damon isn't going to kill you if he sees you. He actually told me yesterday to inform you that he is, and I quote, 'completely over you and your stupid reasons to leave'." She told me and I raised an eyebrow. "So will you please get cleaned up so that we can go out?" She smiled a little at me and I had to smile back.

"Elena..." I began and she gave me her 'serious' look. "Fine. I'll get dressed and then we can go out." She smiled at me again and nodded.

"Great. I'll go tell Jenna that we're going out and that she shouldn't wait up if we get late." I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Do you think she'll trust me to go out with you?" Elena just laughed as she walked out.

"I think she's more worried about me going out with you Dani."

* * *

Half an hour later I was downstairs and fully dressed and talking to Jenna who was in the kitchen.

"I'm still not sure if I should let you go out. I know _his _kind and they always try to nestle their way back into peoples lives." She said, while putting dishes in the dishwasher.

"Yeah, except of course that I am a smart girl and I can take care of myself." I stated, drinking some blueberry juice. It was sweet and red but it still didn't put my hunger down.

"Well no matter how smart you are Dani, love makes you do crazy things." Jenna said.

"Well Jenna, if I was in love with Damon as you say, I would never have broken up with him, would I?" I asked and she shrugged.

"I guess not, but maybe there is something about protecting yourself or him, like in some cliché movie?" She asked me back and I smirked a little. She had no idea.

"Well, I suppose you could put it that way." I said and took another sip of blueberry juice.

"Or maybe you were just trying to get him to change and when it didn't work you-"

"Can we please not talk about my ex-boyfriend who I'm desperately trying to get over?" I asked and she shut her mouth.

"Of course. I'm sorry Dani." She said and offered me a small smile just as Elena walked in.

"Ready Dani?" She asked and I nodded.

"Yes, I am."

* * *

We entered the Grill and saw Bonnie and Caroline sitting by a table together waiting for us. We walked over to them and both Bonnie and Caroline stood up and hugged me, catching me by surprise.

"Elena told us that you were bummed for breaking up with Damon and we decided to cheer you up a little with a girls-night-out." Caroline said and for some reason my respect for her grew.

"Thank you Caroline." I said and then looked at Bonnie and Elena too. "You too guys. You're the best and I don't know what I..." I trailed off as my heart began to race for some weird reason. I slowly turned around to see the doors open and watch as _he _walked in, wearing his usual black leather jacket and all black clothing. Everybody's eyes traveled to where mine had settled and Elena opened her mouth to speak, taking me out of my daze.

"I'm sorry Dani, I didn't know he would come here." She whispered although I knew it was no use because at the mentioning of my name, Damon turned around and his eyes locked with mine. I turned my head and looked down at the table.

"It's okay Elena. It's not like I can forbid him to come here just because I want to spend my time here." I told her with a small smile.

"I just hope he doesn't come over." Bonnie said and glanced a little at him while awkwardly holding her cup of coffee.

"Oh, knowing him, he'll probably just come over here to brag about how he got over you so fast and now has a new little-" Caroline stopped just as someone put a hand on my shoulder. Chills and electric jolts were sent flying through my body as the hand squeezed a little.

"Danielle." I didn't look up as I replied in the same tone that he had used.

"Damon." We didn't say anything else, at least not aloud. _Why did you come here? I know Elena strictly forbade you of ever coming here when you knew I would be here_. In his mind, he chuckled.

_Elena forbade me. Do you not get how wrong that sounds?_

"Damon I think you should just leave." Bonnie said and he snapped his eyes her way.

"Bonnie I think _you_ should leave. And take both Caroline and Elena with you." He retorted. He still hadn't removed his hand from my shoulder. Suddenly there was something inside of me boiling as Damon squeezed my shoulder again. I stood up so fast that the chair nearly fell over. I snapped my head in his direction and glared at him.

"Leave." I said simply, poison dripping in my voice.

"No." He answered smugly. "I'm going to count to five and the I want all of your little friends to have left." He said and motioned with his fingers to Elena, Caroline and Bonnie.

"I'm going to count to three." _And then I rip your head off_. I finished in my my mind as he put up his hands in surrender.

"Fine then. I'll leave. For now. But you look a little pale Dani, are you sure you've eaten anything in the last few days?" He asked, somewhat jokingly and somewhat worriedly. My eyes flickered to Elena and she seemed to swallow.

"I'm fine Damon. Just leave already." I snarled and he nodded and left. I sat back down and sunk down in my seat. "I think you guys should leave. I need some time to think." I told my friends and they all nodded.

"Are you sure?" Elena asked and I just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, tell Jenna I'll be back in time for movie night." I told her and she gave me a look.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To clear my head."

* * *

An hour later I was sitting down by a tree looking out over the clearing. The sun was shining and it made everything look beautiful. You couldn't even feel that winter was coming closer because it still felt like summer here. I leaned back against the tree and closed my eyes as I waited.

I didn't have to wait long because only ten minutes later he was there. I had sensed that he was coming closer and I could practically feel his warmth close to me. He was standing next to a tree across from me and staring at me. As soon as I opened my eyes I felt my heartbeat stop and then race. He gave me a small smile and I smiled back as I stood up and ran up to him in super speed and embraced him. He hugged me back, one of his hands on the back of my head keeping me close to him and the other on my waist keeping me even closer.

"I missed you." I whispered and he nodded.

"I missed you too." He said back to me and I shut my eyes never wanting to leave this place.

"I knew you would follow me. I just knew it." I said and he chuckled.

"Once I heard you wanted to clear your head I knew you would be here." He smiled and I nodded.

"You showed me the place so yes. I would be here." I told him and he nodded. "Oh Damon. I feel like I'm being over dramatic but for some reason I feel like I can't be without you." He just smiled and nodded.

"I feel the same way and I know it's not like me to say things like that but it's true." He sighed deeply. "I needed to tell you the truth." He said and I stared at him as he slowly began to lean in. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. "I love you Dani..." He whispered against my lips...

* * *

I woke up with with a start and looked around. I was still in the clearing but I was alone. I could hear the water from the river and the wing flaps of the birds flying above me.

"Damon?" I whispered and stood up. I looked around but saw nothing and no one. I felt my heart and my stomach sink to the ground as I realized what was going on.

_He never came._

_

* * *

_**A/N: Ha! I'm guessing you actually got your hopes up there for a moment ;) So sorry for letting you down when it comes to Damon finally telling her that he loves her. Oh well. =) Trust me when I tell you that we're getting there.**

**Next chapter sneak peak:**

"You really need a date and I think I've got the perfect guy for you." She smiled and I shook my head.

"No way Jenna. You are not setting me up with someone." I told her and she shook her head.

"No, no. I just want you to get to know him and then you can decide for yourself." She smiled.

"Isn't that the exact same thing as setting me up?" ******

**So what do you say? Haha ;) I'm guessing some of you might already have an idea for who I'm brining in in the next chappie :)**

**Review please and thank you for reading!**

**Have an awesome day!**

**xoxo**

**Spicy**


	24. Chapter 24

**_A/N: Hi peeps! Whazza? :D Okay, so I'm sorry for not updating in a long, long time but I've been kind of busy lately. School is taking over my life and I have a lot going on at home too. So now finally I have another chapter up on this story but I have a little feeling that the story might be longer than I expected and I'm afraid I don't know if I should just after a while post the last few chapters as a third story. What do you think? I just don't know but I'm having a feeling that there will possibly be a third story of Tough Love and it might be called "Tough Love: Forever". That story would be the final one of the Tough Love series but I still don't know for sure. =)_**

**_Okay, back to this chapter now. So we all know that Dani and Damon broke up and that they are all sad and yadda yadda yadda, but now I've decided to get someone else nto the story to shake things up a little ;) And also, the next chapter (chapter 25) will have some Dani/Damon fluff! :D If you want to read it, you should probably review ;). Oh and I guess I can tell you that we'll be seeing much more of William too in the next couple of chapters ;)._**

**_That reminds me; Do you guys want some more flashbacks of Danielle's past? Is there anything particular you're wondering about? In that case you can just tell me in a review or over twitter :) (my twitterpage can be found on my profile ;D)._**

**_So now, without further adue: Here is chapter 24!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! The only thing I do own are my OC's. _**

* * *

The weeks were passing quickly. Next thing I knew we were on the verge of December and the snow was laying thin on the ground. I stared at myself in the mirror before I walked down to eat breakfast with Jenna and the others.

"Jenna I promise you I'm going to be gone soon. I just need to wait until Mrs. Flowers gets better, she has the flu and all and-" I began but Jenna stopped me.

"Dani, it would be one thing if you were just living here and not doing anything, but you are actually helping me with a lot of things in the house and both Elena and Jeremy are fine with you being here. You chased John away so that only ads a small plus on the side for you in my book." She told me and winked. I had to laugh at that.

"I guess you're right." I said and she nodded, setting out all the things on the table.

"I wanted to ask you one thing though. December is coming up and you know that so is the wedding." Jenna said and I nodded. I had been helping Jenna plan a few things for it. She and I used to be home alone a lot so I figured why waste the time on moping when I could do something useful like help her plan her dream wedding. "You really need a date and I think I've got the perfect guy for you." She smiled and I shook my head.

"No way Jenna. You are not setting me up with someone." I told her and she shook her head.

"No, no. I just want you to get to know him and then you can decide for yourself." She smiled.

"Isn't that the exact same thing as setting me up?" I asked and she shrugged. "Okay, I'll give you a shot. Tell me about him." I told her grinning as I grabbed myself a drink. Yes it was morning, so what? Jenna grinned at me before beginning to tell me about the guy.

"Well I went to school with him you know. He is like the nicest guy you will ever meet and is totally sweet and everything. Not to mention the fact that he looks good too." I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"And you never dated him?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"No, I was to caught up in Logan-Fell-land to even see another guy. My biggest mistake." She said and took a drink herself.

"So what's his name?" I asked her smiling a little.

"You'll find out later today. I already set you up for a date with him tonight. Carol Lockwood is having a welcome party for him." I tilted my head in curiosity.

"Carol Lockwood? Are they related or something?" I asked and Jenna simply shrugged.

"Like I said before. You'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

_Later in the afternoon..._

Jenna and I had just gotten dressed so that we could go and visit Carol Lockwood for her little dinner-party-thingy. I was wearing a simple, yes somewhat elegant outfit, consisting of my black tight jeans and a dark purple tunic/blouse. I was wearing several black necklaces and bracelets and my hair was put up in a neat bun and decorated with black rhinestones. Jenna was wearing something similar but less extravagant because she said that she already had a fiancée while I had to get myself one before all the good guys were taken. I slipped and made a comment about Damon, saying that he too was a nice guy and she looked at me strangely before (thankfully) ignoring my remark.

* * *

We were now outside of the Lockwood mansion and both Elena and Jeremy were with us. Elena was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a cardigan over a white t-shirt and Jeremy was wearing something even simpler. They were kids, after all. By the door Tyler Lockwood stood with a fake smile as he invited Jenna and the others inside, then he spotted me and actually smiled a little.

"Hi Danielle." He said and I noticed that he was wearing nicer clothes than usual.

"Hi Tyler. Will you please call me Dani? We are friends after all, aren't we?" I asked him and he grinned at me.

"Sure. You can come in if you want." He said and motioned for me to walk inside and I looked at the door-frame and stepped inside. There was a soft music playing in the great ballroom. It had been decorated with beautiful flowers and everything looked almost as if it was taken from a fairytale. In other words- I wanted to throw up.

_This place would have been so much more special if Damon had been here with me_, I thought sadly to myself as I went to get a drink.

While standing at the bar and slowly drinking my whiskey I heard someone sit down next to me.

"Hello." The man said as I ignored him. "You must be Dani, Jenna told me about you." He said and I turned my head and raised an eyebrow at him although I didn't say a word. He had light brown hair and blueish eyes. He had a slight stubble but it only made him look a little older and sophisticated. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. He looked muscular and very, very handsome. Almost every fiber of his body screamed _surfer_ at me.

"So you're the one she has been talking about all day long." I said and turned around in my seat to face him. "And actually, it's Danielle for you stranger." I said and he chuckled a little scratching the back of his shaggy brown hair.

"Wow, Jenna told me you might be this way, uhh- I'm Mason." He said offering me his hand. I just looked at it and he pulled it away. "O-kay." He breathed and then he didn't say anything else. I felt kind of bad for acting this way, but I had to show him that I really wasn't up for dating anyone else- and yet, the next thing I said couldn't be stopped.

"Nice to meet you Mason." I told him and smiled a little. He looked up at me startled.

"So you're actually going to talk to me?" He asked a little surprised. I shrugged.

"I thought about it for a second and thought, what the heck- he can't hurt me more than the last guy did." I lied and he raised an eyebrow.

"Someone hurt _you_?" The way he said it made it clear that he thought I was indestructible or something.

"Oh right-" I said smacking myself on the head. "-_I_ hurt him." I clarified and Mason just chuckled.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Little Miss Brown and her new little friend perhaps?" My heart began to beat fasted as I turned around in my seat. As much as I wanted to hug him and kiss him, I had to keep the act up.

"What the hell are you doing here Damon?" I asked angrily, almost surprising myself. He just looked at me with his intense eyes and smirked.

"Carol Lockwood invited me to this little party-thingy and I accepted. Just as Stefan did when I invited him to come along as well." He said and pointed over to Stefan who was dancing with Elena.

"Does Stefan know you're talking to me?" I asked Damon and he shrugged.

"Why should I care?" He asked and I stood up.

"Well, I am not going to waste my time on talking to you." I turned to look at Mason. "Would you like to dance Mason?" I asked him sweetly and he looked at me and raised an eyebrow. Slowly he began to nod and stood up himself. I turned to Damon again. "It was good seeing you." I said and walked past him, making sure to brush slightly against him so that he could understand that I meant every word I had said.

I pulled Mason out on the dance floor and put my hands on his shoulders as his hands flew to my waist. As we danced a little to the music he suddenly began to chuckle a little.

"What?" I asked but couldn't help but let out a little laugh myself. There was just something about his laugh that made me laugh and feel all warm and happy inside.

"I just figured out that that dude must have been your ex." He said and I bit my lip a little and just glanced past him too look at Damon who was talking to Sheriff Forbes.

"Uh, yeah he is." I said and Mason nodded understandingly.

"And I'm guessing that you broke up with him for a good reason but you still like him?" Mason asked and all I could do was give him a look which made the answer pretty clear to him. "That's what I thought." He said and then we didn't speak anymore. Suddenly the music stopped and Carol Lockwood took a place on stage to hold a small speech.

"Good evening everyone. I hope you are having a good time here tonight. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes and I just wanted to make sure that you knew the reason for this _small_ get-together. My husbands brother, my brother-in-law, has decided to come home to Mystic Falls and spend some time here with us all." She motioned towards me. I stared at her for a second and then realized that she was pointing towards the person standing next to me. "Mason Lockwood." She said and he smiled proudly at Carol. I just looked a little startled and for a second my eyes met with Damon who was wearing a slightly angry look on his face. Very slowly, I found myself smirking.

* * *

At dinner, Jenna made sure that Mason and I sit in front of each other so that we could talk. She sat down next to me and Alaric sat down next to her. Tyler sat next to Mason and then I kind of lost track of everyone else. Jenna and Mason laughed over old memories and I joined in a few times after Mason told me about Jenna's obsession with Logan Fell.

* * *

When all the spectacles were done I found myself walking outside with Mason. We weren't talking but it was pretty dark and for some reason (not the fact that I was a vampire) something about tonight made me feel safe. I tried to listen around for any unwelcome thoughts coming from anyone nearby but realized that Mason and I were all alone. His heart was beating in an even pace and I was looking at my feet while walking.

"You seem like a really nice person Danielle." Mason said as we walked around the Lockwood mansion. The music could still be heard from inside.

"You don't even know me yet." I said and he shrugged a little.

"Yeah but I bet you could say the same thing about me." He said and I looked up at him as he grinned.

"You _are _a really nice person Mason." I told him and he shrugged again.

"You don't even know me yet." He said in the same tone I had used before. I smiled a little shaking my head. I shuddered a little and he stopped walking. "Are you cold? Here, take my jacket." He said removing his jacket that he had put on and put it onto my shoulders.

"Why do I feel like I'm in some sort of movie?" I chuckled and he shrugged.

"Maybe because you look like someone who should be in a movie?" He suggested and I shook my head. Once again he stopped walking. "Look, Danielle. I know you are not over that guy yet and I know that I might not even stand a chance with you, but I would like to get to know you better, even if it means that we can be just friends. You seem like a really cool girl and with everything that Jenna has told me about you..." He trailed off looking into my eyes. "Well, let's just say that it made me like you even more." He took my hand and I looked deep into his eyes. "So will you just give me one chance at being something to you? A distraction perhaps? To distract you from thinking on your ex?" The suggestion seemed irrational but since when was anything in my life rational? So I surprised myself once again this evening and stood on my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek softly.

"Okay, be my distraction." I smiled and he grinned back at me. There was just something though that was different about him. Something smelled, strange. But for now I at least had something- some_one_- to keep me from thinking of Damon, who I now noticed had been standing behind a tree, listening to every word I had said to Mason.

* * *

**_A/N: So what did you think? Please review! It would be amazing to pass 150 reviews :)_**

**_Have an amazing day people!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	25. Chapter 25

**_A/N: Hi everyone! I decided to update since it's been like 29 days since my last update on this story :) Thank you for being so patient, but I would like some more reviews ;) Anyway, this chapter just shows what we all already know: Damon and Danielle are like two strong forces that are being pulled together and simply can't stay away from each other. Now, on with the chapter ;)_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with TVD. I just own Danielle and William and any other OC mentioned._**

* * *

"Okay Jenna, I admit, Mason was kind of sweet today on our first date." I said into the phone as I walked towards the forest. I had just finished my first official date with Mason and it had been quite amazing actually. He had picked me up in his truck and brought me to the Lockwood mansion where he had set up dinner for just the two of us. He had acted like a complete gentleman the entire time and actually made me feel happy again, but it had just been two days since we met and I didn't want to rush into things before I got myself sorted out. Not to mention my big problem with William and my other problem with Damon.

"Give me all the details!" Jenna ordered into the phone and I looked around as I ran into the forest quickly so that no one would see me.

"Details huh?" I asked. "Well I'll tell you when I get home. If I'm not to tired that is." I told her and jumped over a tree that had fallen down across my path. "But I have to go now, I have an appointment to get to." I lied.

"What kind of an appointment?" She asked and I once again looked around a little before sitting down on a log.

"Uh... A dental appointment." I said finally. "Oh, I need to go now, the dentist just arrived. Bye Jenna!" I said and hung up quickly. I looked over by the tree that was standing in front of me and shook my head. "The coast is clear, you can come out now." I told him and he stepped out. He was wearing his usual clothing, almost entirely black and it made him look very sophisticated.

"Hello Dani." He said smugly. "How are you?" He asked and I raised an eyebrow.

"I hardly think you called me to get over here to find out how I was doing Damon." I told him and he shook his head.

"No I came to ask you how you and your little new boyfriend are doing." He said sarcastically.

"Mason isn't my boyfriend." I snapped.

"_Yet_." He snapped back at me. We glared at each other for a minute until I gave up.

"Just tell me what you want so that I can go home please." I said and he looked at me strangely.

"Why are you so Goddamn stressed? Don't you like hanging out with your old boyfriend?" He asked and I knew right then that he was going to talk about Mason or me and his relationship. "You are going out with that Lockwood guy just to mess with me, admit it Dani." He told me and I gaped at him. "You are trying to make me jealous, aren't you?" He pushed and I chuckled shaking my head at him.

"You actually think that I want to make you jealous?" I asked him and he rolled his eyes at me.

"Yes, why else would you date an air-headed surfer?" He asked and I just chuckled a little again.

"I'm guessing that you _are _jealous." I stated.

"Why would you think that? Damon Salvatore does not get jealous Danielle and you should know so." He said and I tilted my head looking at him.

"So why did you interrupt my date with Tyler? You know the one when we still hated each other?" I asked him and he seemed to think about it for a second or two.

"Because I didn't want you to date a little kid." He exclaimed, taking a step closer towards me.

"Well then you should have just told me Damon." I stated and took a step closer.

"Like you would have listened to me!" A step.

"I would!" Another step.

"So if I tell you not to date Mason, would you listen to me?" He asked sarcastically.

"No!" I protested.

"You see? Why?" He took another step.

"Because you can't tell me what to do!" I stated in an obvious tone.

"Just like you told me to give up hope on us." He stated quietly and that was when I realized what this was all about.

"Damon I-" I didn't get to finish my sentence because he had already crashed his lips against mine.

The kiss was passionate and quickly grew more heated. He pushed me back against a tree and trailed his hands down my sides and put them underneath my shirt, rubbing small circles with his thumbs on my stomach. My own arms found themselves around his neck as I pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. It felt wonderful but I knew it was wrong. I pulled away, flushed and confused.

"Damon. Stop it." I ordered when he once again attacked my lips. "Stop." I mumbled against his lips and let a tear escape. He pulled away and looked at me confused. His hand went to my cheek as he wiped the tear away. "You know that we can't be together." I told him. "It's to dangerous." I said and he sighed putting his forehead to mine.

"Then why are you with that stupid Lockwood Dani?" He asked me and I pulled away.

"Because I actually don't give a damn. I don't think things are serious between the two of us. We've just been on one date and even if it was really sweet, I don't know where things are going. So, are you happy? That was the real reason you wanted to meet here, wasn't it?" I asked him crossing my arms. He smiled a little at he and leaned in.

"That and this." He said as he pressed his lips against mine again. I stopped him again.

"I told you Damon. I don't want this. It will be easier for us just to move on. That's what I'm doing with Mason." I told him and he sighed a little.

"You know that you can't just move on like that after what we had." He told me. "And besides, I don't like Mason. There is something weird with him." He said and I looked at him.

"Who said you got to chose who I could date?" I asked him but he ignored my question.

"Anyway, I think we should talk more often and maybe have more meetings like this." He said as he pulled back and began to walk away. My body felt cold without him pressed against me.

"These things aren't going to become a regular thing for us Damon!" I called after him. "If you want to be my friend, fine. But nothing more!" I said and he turned around and blew me a kiss.

"I'm telling you there's something off with Mason." He said. "And I am going to find out what it is." With those words he left and left me staring at the woods where he had disappeared. Something inside me told me that what he had just said was true.

* * *

With determination I walked up towards the Salvatore Boarding house. _Who the hell do you think you are to leave me like that in the woods! _I yelled through my mind at Damon, who I knew would open the door immediately. When he did, I pushed my way through and walked inside. Stefan was sitting on the couch rubbing his temples.

"God Dani, even I heard that." He muttered but brightened up then realizing what he had said. He stood up and walked over to me to hug me. "I've missed you." He said and I hugged him back.

"I've missed you too. You haven't been over at Elena's for a while. You should really come an visit more often." I told him, still smiling. Then I turned around to face Damon. "Unlike someone who seems to be stalking me or something." I said bitterly.

"You just couldn't keep away, could you?" Damon said and I glared at him.

"You tell me that there's something wrong with my boyf- uh, friend and then you leave me in the woods alone. Shouldn't I at least get to know what you meant by that?" I asked him and he crossed his arms at me.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"You have?" I asked crossing my arms too.

"No. But I will." He said and I shrugged.

"Fine, whatever. Just don't hurt him Damon." I told him seriously.

"Do you really care about him?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I told you in the forest that I don't know yet. If I do, I'll make sure that you know before I do anything else." I said.

"Anything _else_. What the hell have you done until now? Have you already slept with him?" He asked furiously.

"Damon, I don't think that is any of your business considering that Dani broke up with you." Stefan said a little amused by Damon's obvious jealousy.

"You see, I'm not the only one who thinks that." I stated motioning to Stefan. Suddenly my phone rang. I pulled it out and answered. "Hi Mason." I said and I knew Damon immediately began to listen to the conversation.

"_I had a great time today Danielle and I was wondering if you would like to go out for a trip with __me on Monday next week?_" I chuckled a little.

"Don't you think we're moving a little too fast on this?" I asked him and saw Damon who nodded frantically, giving me the thumbs up.

"_I don't want to pressure you or anything but I have something really important to tell you._" He said.

"Well why wait until Monday then?" I asked him curiously.

"_Because I need to prepare a few things and I'll be busy for a couple of days. Is that okay with you though?_" He asked and I smiled.

"Yes. I'd love to go on another date with you on Monday-"

"-_night. It needs to be then. It will be very special and you wont be disappointed. I promise you that._" There was a slight rustling on the other line. "_I need to go now. Bye Danielle!_" He said and hung up. I looked at the phone before putting it back into my pocket.

"Well that was interesting." Damon said scratching his chin. "Little Dani has another date with mystery-uncle Mason Lockwood." He said and I glared again.

"Just stay away Damon. Let me at least be happy without you." There was something about my words that had hurt him because I noticed that his face fell a little although he recovered quickly.

"Yeah, whatever Dani. Go run to your little friends now." He said shooing me towards the door.

"Are you throwing me out?" I gasped and he smiled smugly before claiming my lips in a small kiss. When he pulled away he pushed me outside and slammed the door in my face.

_Yes, I am_. I heard him think. He had known I would check his thoughts afterward.

_Go to hell, bastard._ I thought back and I heard him chuckle inside. _I hate you._ I mumbled in my thoughts.

_I hate you too_. He replied as I left. I turned around at one point and saw his face in his window but then the curtains fell and he was gone.

God I missed him.

* * *

**_A/N: So do I deserve at leats five reviews? Please review as much as you can, I would like this story to hit 200 reviews or at least over 150 :) That would be like a dream come true! 3_**

**_I seriously haven't thanked you guys enough so thank you all of you! I love you (in a non-freaky way) and please, please, please give me suggestions on what you would like to happen in the story. I feel like I haven't had any action in here and I need some suggestions on "action-scenes". I mean sure, I have the huge showdown with William all planned out, but I feel like the story is just so "sappily romantic" and I just don't know any more. And I am also stoked to show you guys the all new story but I need to finish this one first ^^_**

**_So, have a great day and review please! Do it for me, and for the next chapter (which is short, but has William in it :D). Oh and what do you guys think of my "Tough Love Origins" Idea? The one I wrote about in my profile? Maybe if I wrote a few one-shots and put them together in one story with all the OC's of this story? That might explain, William's obsession with Danielle :)_**

**_Have an awesome day!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	26. Chapter 26

**_A/N: Hi again! :D I know it's been a LIFETIME since I updated but I've really been struggling with school you know =/ There is only one month left until school ends and I have a lot of exams right now. But for Now I hope you'll enjoy at least this chapter because it'll take a while for me to get some time to write another one._**

**_Okay so about this chapter. It's a little weird time-wise because it takes place right about the time Natalia was killed so it's like going back in time to see William's reaction to hearing that she hasn't returned and so on. You also get to see a more humane side of William in a flashback and I will also explain that in the end._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_DiSCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with The Vampire Diaries! I just own my characters: Danielle, William, Natalia and Nikolai and any other OC mentioned in this story._**

* * *

_**No Point of View**_

_In a storage house outside of Mystic Falls_

_A few weeks ago_

William was looking outside while he slowly smoked on a cigar. It had been a while since he had done anything fun. He took a deep breath and let out the smoke that had filled his mouth.

"Nikolai!" He suddenly called. There was a rustling heard on the other side of the door.

"Yes master William?" Nikolai asked, his black hair ruffled and gray eyes emotionless.

"Where is Natalia?" William asked, his voice husky, excited and bored at the same time. Nikolai looked at his watch.

"She hasn't returned yet." He mumbled and William snapped his head in his direction.

"Where has she gone, _Niko_?" He asked in a mocking and amused tone. Nikolai shuddered.

"She- She disobeyed your orders Sir." He said hesitantly. William smirked.

"She went after Danielle by herself, didn't she?" He asked slowly and calmly. When Nikolai didn't reply William felt a wave of rage hit him. He yelled out in fury and stood up throwing his chair into the wall, making Nikolai flinch when some of the splinter hit him. William's rampage didn't stop there because he turned the table upside down, sending pictures, letters and all imaginable other thing flying. "I told Natalia to stay put! I _ordered _her!" He snarled. His eyes were black by this point and he turned to Nikolai. "Why didn't you tell me." He snarled and pounced at him, grabbing him by the throat.

"I d-didn't t-think she would ac-actually go there." Nikolai gasped when William let him go.

"You know that Natalia had the brains of a cricket. Of course she would have gone." William hissed. "But maybe we can see this as a positive thing." He suddenly said, his eyes becoming then usual brown self.

"What do you mean?" Nikolai croaked as he rubbed his throat.

"Natalia is probably dead by now." William stated emotionless.

"How is that a good thing?" Nikolai asked, knowing that William's assumption was probably correct.

"I've got one less person to kill in this world." William said.

"You were going to kill Natalia?" Nikolai asked confused.

"I already killed her once. I don't think she would mind being permanently dead." He answered simply.

"So that means that you are going to kill me too?" Nikolai asked, as realization washed over him. William smiled grimly.

"Does it bother you knowing that you will die at my hand in the end after you've helped me kill the person that we both love?" He asked.

"You do not know what love is." Nikolai snapped. "You never loved Danielle, you just played with her. She told me her story and you never really loved her. You're a murderer William!" William looked at him amused. He lightly tapped his own chin.

"For the first time in over twenty years you show that you have some guts to stand up to me." William said. "Aren't you afraid anymore?" He whispered.

"I am terrified." Nikolai said honestly. "I don't care if you kill me too. I never wanted this life anyway, but just so you know. Your plan will never succeed. Danielle will find a way to kill you and you will lose, just like you have all these years." He said.

"I haven't killed you yet Nikolai. Don't forget that." William said, waving a finger in front of him. He backed away a few steps. "We'll have to assume that Natalia is dead, which she probably is. In less than a month, I will have Danielle back in my grip and you will be there with me because I know that you love her in your own way."

"She is like a sister to me." Nikolai said, still standing on proudly.

"Although," William said, ignoring Nikolai's comment. "I am a bit curious about why she returned to the same town two times in a row."

"Perhaps she has found someone?" Nikolai suggested and William snapped his head in his direction, his eyes darkening again.

"No. She wouldn't dare."

"But you know that she would. She has never done anything to please you and I think that what you saw in that hotel or motel or whatever it was might have proved that I am right. Danielle has found someone she is fond of and you know that true love can overcome- AH!" Nikolai screamed as William pierced him with a wooden stake that was laying on the ground.

"Don't you dare talk like that. Now go and leave me alone until I plan my next move." William said and pulled the stake out again. Nikolai looked at his abdomen where it had pierced him. Blood was still flowing out but the wound was already healing.

"Yes, I will." He said and began to walk out but William cleared his throat. Nikolai flinched. "I will, _master_." He corrected himself and William chuckled darkly.

"Good boy." He told him and looked down and for a second he began to remember.

_**1784**_

_William looked towards the house and smiled to himself. One last meeting with her and he would stop. He could stop whenever he wanted to stop. That was what he kept telling himself. He wasn't selfish- Okay, he was a little selfish, but he had the right to be. She was special to him and during all of his years he had never felt this way about anyone. He heard a sound, turned around and smiled._

"_You came." He pointed out but she thought it sounded more as a question. She stepped closer to him and tilted her head sideways just like she always did._

"_You wanted to talk and I felt happy to listen." She told him. "The only problem is that I do not understand why you wanted to talk to me when you have my sister." He offered her a small smile but she simply frowned at him. "Can you please stop that?"_

"_What?" He asked her curiously and she looked at him angrily._

"_You look at me as if you are..." She trailed off._

"_As if I am what?" He asked. She looked away as if preparing herself for embarrassment._

"_As if you are picturing me without my clothes on." she finally said and he chuckled._

"_Maybe that is because I am." He admitted and she gasped covering her chest with her arms._

"_You, William, should be ashamed of yourself!" She exclaimed. "I am a doctors daughter and you are practically engaged with my sister because of the way you are acting!" She said harshly and he looked at her._

"_I am only acting that way with her to get to you!" He exclaimed._

"_That is no way to get to a woman!" She retorted._

"_Danielle! You are being irrational! Do you really think I would go for Rebecca's type? She is the nice girl that everyone in town is talking about. She tries to act adventurous and all but she isn't." He said and she looked at him in outrage._

"_You are being irrational you-" He crashed his lips against hers and she froze in shock as he kissed her passionately. Very soon her own lips began to move in sync with his and she felt the world crash around her. He pulled away slowly and opened his eyes to look at her. She still had her eyes closed but slowly began to open them._

"_You are the one who is adventurous Danielle. You are the sister who does not only read about adventures. You make your own as well. You make my life an adventure because you keep resisting me, something your sister has never been able to do. So will you please do this for me?" He asked her and she tilted her head sideways._

"_Do what for you William?" She asked hesitantly. He smiled at her and pulled his hand up to her cheek, caressing it softly._

"_I want you to make my life an adventure." He told her and she let out a small breath. She nodded once and began to lean in. He closed his eyes and waited but the kiss never came. He opened them again and she smiled at him._

"_An adventure." Was all she said when she turned around and ran away again towards her house. He looked after her slightly upset but for some reason he couldn't stop smiling._

"_An adventure." He repeated after her and chuckled in the night._

He slowly began to smile as he stared at the picture he had of Danielle. Her brown locks were falling onto her beautiful face, framing it as she smiled mysteriously. "You will be mine again, Danielle. No other man or vampire will stand in my way to get you."

* * *

**_A/N: Okay so whattya think? Did you think it was strange reading about the "nicer" William in the flashback? Do you think he was being a little romantic there? I sure do but that's maybe because I easily get a crush on the badboy ^^ *sigh* Oh well. Anyway my explaination to that flashback is that I wanted to show you that William wasn't always so evil/mad/stupid/horrible (I could go on all day but I think I'll stop there). I wanted to show you that once he actually did love Danielle but something went seriously wrong for him and he screwed up big time. Now please don't take this the wrong way! I don't wnt you to go all lovey-dovey on William now because he has been torturing Danielle for a couple of hundred years now! He's a bad, bad man! Like I said before. I just wanted you to see that he wasn't always bad._**

**_Now I think that was it. So I wont be updating for a while but I'll try whenever I get some time over. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I wish you all a good night/day wherever you are in the world! You are amazing all of you and never let anyone tell you otherwise!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I updated my TVD stories but it's because francly I have been doing other things than just sitting by the computer all Summer long (I've been writing on my own work and by that I mean my book). Now however, I finished this chapter just a few days ago and figured I should update it because of your patient waiting. I just have a lot going on right now and I might not be able to write so much on the stories, but I'll try. Otherwise I guess you'll just have to be patient again and keep reviewing ;)**_

_**Now please enjoy this long-ish chapter and don't forget to review in the end!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that has to do with TVD! I just own my OC's!**_

* * *

_**(Danielle's Point of View)**_

_Three days after Danielle's last meeting with Damon._

I combed through my hair and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was curled and I was wearing some dark eyeshadow and black eyeliner. It was all Jenna's fault. I knew she would do this to me. I just knew it.

"Dani! We're leaving in a few minutes!" She heard Jenna call from downstairs. "Mason will be here soon too!" She said and I bit my lip. _It's just dinner, _I thought to myself. "Hey!" Jenna said walking in looking at me while smiling widely.

"Hi." I said smiling back at her. She frowned at me and I looked at her strangely. "Jenna are you okay?" I asked her and she nodded.

"You aren't dressed." She stated looking at my robe. "Why aren't you dressed?" She asked and I shrugged shaking my head.

"I just don't know I guess." I admitted and she sighed and walked up to the closet taking out my dress.

"It's just dinner Dani." She told me and I groaned grabbing my head.

"With you and Ric. _And _Mason!" I exclaimed. My heart was pumping hard in my chest and I felt a little nervous for some reason. "I'm freaking out here and the only person I can think about is Damon!" I said honestly.

"Dani, I-" Jenna began but I interrupted her.

"No, Jenna. No." I said, standing up from my chair, waving my hand around. "I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that I need to get over him, because he will just hurt me like he always does with the women he loves or whatever it is he does with them. But let me tell you something: Damon was not just my boyfriend, he was also my friend. He was my best friend and the only person who really understood me and I _want_ to see him! I _need _to see him before I go to dinner with Mason! I just _need _to Jenna so please tell Elena to call him for me and tell him to get up here!" I said.

"I will! I will! Just don't cry! You'll ruing your makeup!" Jenna said with wide eyes as she ran out of the room calling for Elena. I smiled satisfied into the mirror and kept combing through my hair but I was soon once again frowning. What was I going to say to Damon again?

* * *

Half an hour later I heard a knock on the door. I didn't turn around and I didn't say anything, but instead I stared into the mirror. _You can come in, _I thought and soon the door opened. I could see him in the mirror, his icy eyes looking into mine through my reflection. I turned around in my chair and stood up.

"Hi." I said and he just glared at me.

"You made Elena call me, sounding worried and all just to say 'Hi' to me?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I called you because I have to tell you something." I said and fiddled with my robe. "I really like him Damon. I just really, really, _really_ like him." I told him. He rolled his eyes and looked away.

"And you want my blessing or whatever? You have it. Just sleep with the guy and get it over with." He said harshly. I stared at him and ignored his words because I knew he didn't really mean them.

"I want you to tell me, that it's fine and okay for me to date someone other than you." I said walking towards him. "I want you, to tell me that it's okay. Because if it's not, then I will wait. Until you're ready." He looked at me for a moment and smirked to himself.

"You think I'm nor _over _you Dani?" He asked me and I looked at him strangely. "I am not Stefan." He told me. "I am not Stefan and I will never be. If you had been Elena and I had been Stefan, I would be off pining in a corner, bawling my eyes out, but I am _not_ Stefan and you are _not _Elena." He said. "We are Damon and Danielle. We are two powerful _vampires_ who cared for each other. It didn't work out, so we need to do what big bad vampires do and _move on_." He said looking into my eyes. "You have my blessing Danielle. Go and be with your little mystery guy and I'll keep an eye on him for you while you're off falling in love with him." I just stared at him and nodded.

"Thank you." I told him. "Thank you for showing me that I actually made the right decision in getting together with Mason. Thank you for showing me who you really are Damon. You've really opened my eyes now. Just so you know, I still consider you my friend and _that_ is the real reason I called you over. Because I wanted to tell my best friend about how sad I have been without having him to talk to about my crazy dreams and nightmares. Don't you think I've already noticed there is something off about Mason? I am not stupid Damon!" I told him and he glared at me.

"Why don't you just look into his head and read his mind? You've done it to me haven't you?" He asked and I glared back at him.

"No I haven't. I would never do such a thing to you."

"Well then I guess you should just wait and see what happens with Mr. Lockwood."

"I guess I will." I told him quietly and sighed. "If you are over me and I really am over you, can't we at least still be friends? No one has to know. Just us." I asked and his lips curved into a small smile and he just winked at me. I smiled back at him.

"Have fun on your date with mystery guy, Ric and Bridezilla." He said and I chuckled.

"She isn't Bridezilla Damon." I told him and nodded.

"Just wait for it Danielle. Just wait for it." He said and walked out of the room. I stood still for a few minutes until I turned around to get dressed. This would be a long day...

* * *

I was wearing a black cocktail-dress and a pair of silver high-heels. I had several silver bracelets on my right wrist and a pair of diamond-stud earrings. Jenna had told me it was too much black and silver and that I needed to add a little color to the mix so I put on some red lipstick. It wasn't orange or light red, it was the real deal: Blood red lipstick. I bit my lips slightly when I walked out of the room and walked downstairs to get my winter jacket. Jenna smiled at me and I smiled back.

"I told you everything would be okay once you brought me Damon." I told her and she frowned.

"Dani, I just want you to know that even though you are my friend, Mason is also my friend and I don't want you to hurt him." She told me and I nodded.

"Jenna, I wouldn't dream of hurting Mason." I told her honestly. "Besides, Mason knows we are taking things slow because of how my last relationship ended."

"Okay. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't hurt him." She smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Don't you even worry about that. Just focus on the wedding and Ric for now." I told her.

"Dani about the wedding-" She began nervously but didn't have time to finish since the doorbell rang.

"We can talk about that later." I said happily. "Mason and Ric are here." She nodded once but seemed to be deep in her thoughts. I was curious and for a second I just wanted to read her mind but I restrained myself from doing so. It wouldn't be fair to Jenna. I opened the door and was met by Mason who was smiling at me.

"Hi." He said and I smiled hugging him.

"Hey." He hugged me back and I glanced at Ric who was standing behind him._ Don't give me that 'You still love Damon' look._ I told him and he shuddered slightly.

"_Still not used to that_." He thought and I just smiled at him and pulled away from Mason.

"Hi Ric." I said and hugged him too. "Should we get going?" I asked them and Jenna nodded, stepping forward and kissing Ric on the lips. I smiled at them and felt Mason take my hand. I looked down at it and squeezed it slightly. He smiled at me and his eyes seemed to glisten with something that I didn't quite understand yet. Little did I know that I would sooner or later find out...

* * *

Dinner went by smoothly and quickly. Mason and I were in a deep conversation about surfing, while Jenna had Alaric occupied with whispering wedding plans. Anyway, Mason apparently couldn't see me as the type to surf but I proved it by just telling him all the different places I had surfed. Once I mentioned Hawaii he was sold and I just smiled smugly at him. All of the sudden Jenna cleared her throat and looked at me. I turned my head in her direction and smiled at her.

"Jenna? Do you have something to say?" I asked her and she nodded smiling a little nervously at me and turned to look at Ric and then back at me.

"Yes actually. About the wedding, remember? I tried telling you before we left?" She asked and I nodded.

"Oh yeah, I remember." I said frowning. "Is something wrong? I'll help you take care of it! I promise." I told her quickly and she shook her head, laughing. For some reason Alaric laughed too.

"No Dani, nothing is wrong." She told me. "I just wanted to ask you to be my maid of honor." She said and I choked on my drink. Mason patted my back as I stared at Jenna with wide eyes, coughing wildly.

"Oh my God, what?" I said hoarsely. "What about Elena? I thought she was your maid of honor." I asked and Jenna just shook her head.

"No, Elena is my bridesmaid. I think she is too young to throw a good bachelorette-party. You on the other hand, seem to have a wild side to yourself and I like that." Alaric snickered at her choice of words and I shot him a look.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" I asked her and she nodded. "But isn't it the maid of honor's job to fix all the details for the wedding?"

"I've already taken care of that." Jenna said and I nodded.

"I know and that's the problem. I mean, you should have told me earlier then I would have done everything! Now I just have the bachelorette-party!" I exclaimed and Jenna took my hand in hers.

"It's okay Dani. That is the only thing I want you to plan. Besides, you can come with me to the dress fitting and everything else from now on." She said happily. "So what do you say?" She asked and I bit my lip. I looked at Mason who was smiling at me and then at Alaric who was also smiling. I turned back to Jenna who was wearing a pleading look on her face.

"Fine. I'll be your maid of honor." I said and she jumped excited.

"Yes! You're the best friend ever!" She exclaimed and stood up and hugged me. I hugged her back and then smiled at her. Alaric cleared his throat and we looked at him.

"There is however one small detail that I have failed to mention." He said sounding slightly embarrassed about it.

"What is it Ric?" I asked and the gave me a cheap smile.

"You know I haven't lived here for a long time... And I don't exactly make friends so easily either..."

"Get to the point." I said, loosing my patience.

"Well, the thing is that the only two friends I have are the Salvatore brothers..." Oh God I could see where this was going. "And since Stefan is so _young_ and all it would be strange for me to have him as my best man..." I put a hand to my forehead and sighed deeply.

"So your best man is Damon." I said and he bit his lip and nodded. "Of course he is..." I mumbled. Jenna looked at me with her _I-swear-I-didn't-know-_look.

"Will that be a problem Dani? I can make Alaric change his mind." She said and I chuckled at her.

"No it's okay. Damon and I are friends... I think... Anyway, it wont be a problem because we are two adults who have absolutely no feelings left for each other." I said confidently and Jenna raised an eyebrow at me. "It's okay if I say that it's okay and I'm saying that it is okay." I told her and she nodded after thinking about it.

"Okay then..." She said but she seemed not to fond of the thought of me and Damon working closely on something as big as a wedding. That actually raised some of my own thoughts...

"_Why the hell did Damon agree to this Ric?_" I snapped through my mind and Ric suddenly jumped, knocking over a glass of champagne that was on the table.

"Ric!" Jenna exclaimed when he began wiping away the beverage.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I was just too deep in my _thoughts _I guess." He said and Jenna helped him clean up. "_I don't know. I just talked about me needing to find a best man when I was at their house and he volunteered. I wanted to ask you to me my best __**wo**__man but then Jenna told me she was going to ask you._" He told me (or should I say thought to me?).

"_Well he isn't exactly the organizing type, and if I know Damon right, he has a secret agenda... Hey! You wanted me as your best man? That is so sweet Ric!_" Ric just gave me a look that told me that he agreed.

"_What was I supposed to do? It wasn't exactly as if I could tell him 'no'. Besides, he __**is **__one of my __only friends in this town... If you can call him that... And yes. I wanted you to be my best man even if it sounds a little weird. You are one of my best friends in this town, regarding what you are._" A smile crept over my face.

"_Sometimes I wish I could go back to when you two hated each other. And thank you. For some reason I wish you would have asked me before Jenna asked me, but it's okay I guess._"

"_Me too Dani. Me too... Can we please stop this now because we've been quiet for a while and Jenna is staring at you._" I snapped my eyes up in an instance and looked at Jenna.

"Are you okay Dani?" She asked me concerned and I nodded.

"Yeah. I just feel a little sick... Or hungry." I said and she looked at me confused.

"But we just ate?" She said confused.

"Oh I know. I just don't know why but I'm really hungry. Maybe for some ice-cream and pickles." I said and she gave me a slightly disgusted look. I knew I couldn't keep up this cover story so I decided to laugh it off. "I can't believe you actually believed that." I laughed and Mason laughed with me. Something was definitively off here. I could tell that Mason was nervous about something because he was trying to avoid eye-contact with me and when I said I was hungry he had looked at me as if he wanted to get out of there and take everyone in the restaurant with him. I looked back at Jenna who began talking about how my joke wasn't funny and that she actually for a second thought I was sick or something. This was of course her cover story because the thing she had actually thought was that I was pregnant. Why did she always assume that I was pregnant? Did I actually look like the type of girl to get pregnant? Oh well...

* * *

Mason and I said goodbye to Alaric and Jenna because Mason thought it would be good for us to take a walk alone after dinner. We were walking through town all alone because apparently it was too late for people to be awake. I had told Jenna that I might be late but she told me she would leave a key outside the house so that I would be able to get in. Chilly winds were blowing past me and Mason while we walked in silence. The snow had actually melted once but yesterday it had begun to snow a little again so very soon the streets will probably be filled with snow, just in time for Jenna's winter wedding.

"So." He said simply after a few minutes of walking and I smiled at him.

"So." I said. "I noticed that you looked a little freaked out when I joked about being hungry. What was that about?" I asked him.

"Getting straight to the point. I like that about a woman." He told me chuckling. "It wasn't the thing about being hungry that freaked me out. It was what you were hungry _for_. Ice-cream and pickles? For a second I thought you might be-"

"-pregnant!" I exclaimed, stopping completely. "You thought I might have left Damon because he got me pregnant?" I asked and laughed at the ridiculous thought.

"I know it seems a little silly but I guess I was just nervous." He said laughing with me. He took my hand and looked at me, his eyes shining. "You're really beautiful." He said putting a strand of my hair behind my ear. I smiled at him and looked down at my feet. Why was I suddenly so nervous? It wasn't as if this was the first time someone had told me how beautiful I was...

"Thank you. You look very... Handsome." I said back and he smiled widely.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked and I smiled.

"You just did, but I guess I can grant you another question." I told him and he grinned.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked and I bit my lower lip.

"Why do you ask?" I asked him back.

"Because I am a gentleman and I don't want to go around stealing kisses from you." He told me.

"What if I give you permission to steal kisses from me?"

"Are you giving me permission to steal kisses from you?"

"Maybe..."

"What kind of an answer is that?"

"The kind to hold you long enough to see how long it takes until you just steal one from me." That did it. He leaned down and his lips connected with mine in a sweet, soft kiss. He pulled away before I had the chance to kiss him back and smiled at me. "Took you long enough..." I said trailing off while pulling him closer to me again. This kiss was different... It was passionate and it was almost as if we couldn't get enough of each other. He deepened the kiss and his hands traveled town my back and settled on my hips while my own hands flew to the back of his head. Suddenly I realized that something was wrong with me. I _was _hungry. I felt how my fangs slowly began to extend so I pulled away quickly and turned away from him. We were both breathing heavily and I could sense that he was worried he had gone too far.

"Wow." I said, trying to make him realize that it wasn't his fault while I got myself under control.

"Indeed." He said and I smiled to myself as my fangs disappeared. I turned around to look at him.

"Maybe we should just go home now. Leave ourselves in this 'wow-state'." I suggested and he nodded.

"I'll see you on our next date." He said and grabbed my hand leaning down again but I stopped him.

"Wow-state." I told him and he nodded.

"You certainly are something else Dani." He told me and I smiled while he just kissed my cheek and then walked away. I smiled to myself and bit my lip. Then I frowned. I turned around quickly feeling how the wind changed so suddenly. Something was wrong... I began running toward Elena's house, the only thing running through my mind being "No! Not again!". My heart was beating faster than ever before and I could feel in every bone in my body that someone was following me. I passed an alley when someone with a lot of strength pulled me in pinning me to the wall. Then I realized I was still stronger than him so I turned us over and held him by the throat. I bared my fangs and hissed at him but suddenly I calmed down seeing who it was...

"Nikolai! What the _hell_ are you doing here?" I whispered angrily. His grey eyes bored into mine.

"I've come to warn you Danielle." He said choked. I realized I was still choking him and quickly let go of him. He rubbed his throat and groaned slightly.

"Warn me? Of what?" I asked and he looked up at me again.

"William." He said and my heart stopped. "He knows where you are."

* * *

**_A/N: Yay! Nicolai has come forward from the shadows and we are once again back on track on Dani's past! What do you think should happen? Do you think I'll make Damon and Nikolai meet? Maybe I should throw in Mason as well just to have three of "Danielle's men" (Nikolai never was technically but he felt strongly for her) in the same room? ;)_**

**_The wedding is drawing closer as is the meeting with William. I hope you enjoyed reading and I hope you'll stay patient and just review so that I actually get inspired to write. Reviews inspire, just figured you would want to know._**

**_Now have a great day and don't forget to check in on my profile for updates! I also have twitter, so follow me if you want to know when I update faster! ;D_**

**_Btw, Who is excited to see what season 3 of TVD looks like? September is not that far away, but still it is too far!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	28. Chapter 28

**_A/N: Hey everyone! I am so sorry for not updating in such a long time! I haven't forgotten about my stories, it's just that I have had a lot of things going on both at home and in school. So once again I apologize and I hope I'll be able to write a lot more during my free time!_**

**_So, last time I left you guys with a little cliffy- William is back, but through one of his minions, who once had a tensy, tiny crush on Danielle. Anyway, as my little "fish-kisser" Noelle pointed out, every story needs it's critic and thanks to her I have actually realized that I have painfully been dragging out the final showdown for a long, LONG time. The reason for my little absence from my stories was that I just wasn't inspired to write anything with everything going on, but now I'm back on track with a thousand new ideas for this particular story! I have decided that the William thing will be wrapped up in this story, and I have a whole new plot for a possible THIRD story! But please, be patient! As a writer I have dozens and dozens of ideas for every story and I am trying to get every single detail right so I don't just post a bunch of crap for you to read. Everything I write, will in the end be summed up in a HUGE finale that I hope you'll be pleased with. So please remember, be patient! ;)_**

**_And Noelle, I have actually been missing your reviews =) I'm glad you're back now and I hope to see more of you in the future and I do hope, you're not dissapointed with my major spoilerish a/n! ;)_**

**_Now have fun reading and don't forget to review! Any questions? PM or review them to me and I'll answer ASAP! Follow me on twitter for updates on stories and so on (SpicyPepper_94)._**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

I froze. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't _think_. Why now? Why ever? _How_? Probably the same way as the first hundred times... The longest I had managed to stay away from him, was three years and that had been when I unexpectedly moved to Bulgaria. Nikolai's grey eyes looked into mine and I could see my fear reflect in them.

"When is he coming?" I asked him calmly, surprising even myself with how strong my voice was. Nikolai looked around behind himself, almost as if to check that he hadn't been followed.

"Did you kill Natalia?" He asked me, ignoring my question.

"No, but my friend did." I said curtly, my voice sounding bitter with a slight hint of disgust. "She ambushed me and my-" I stopped. He wasn't my boyfriend anymore. "-_friend_ and tried to kill me. She missed my heart by just a few inches." Once again Nikolai looked around.

"Can't we find a place where we can speak openly?" He asked and I stared at him. Suddenly I realized what was going on.

"You ran away, didn't you?" I asked him. "You ran away from William! You defied his orders and now you're afraid that he might send another vampire your way to kill you!" The wind changed but Nikolai remained silent.

"I came to help you..." He whispered. "I couldn't let him do what he wants to do with you this time..."

"I think I know a place where we can talk. You don't even have to be invited in. I just have to make a call quickly." I told him and he let go of me. I realized he had been holding my shoulders during our small conversation. I picked up my phone and dialed the number. A few rings and then she picked up.

"_Dani? Where are you? Jenna is worried that you might have run away with Mason! I was just about to call Stefan and-_"

"Elena, please shut up, will you?" I sighed. She stopped her rant. Nikolai was listening to the conversation.

"_Is everything okay?_" She asked and I bit my lip.

"Well, actually something came up. Something from my _past_ and I need to do something... It might take a while so please tell Jenna not to worry about me." Elena was quiet. "Elena?" I asked and she seemed to snap out of it.

"_Your_ past_?_" She whispered into the phone. "_Is it _him_? Has he caught you again? Where are you?_" She asked again. I could hear how she locked the bathroom door on the other line.

"No Elena. It isn't William. Do you really think I would be able to call you if he had caught me? It's just another person and I need to talk to him, but at a place where vampires can talk safely without being-"

"_So you're on your way to Damon and Stefan's?_" She asked.

"Yeah. Just tell Jenna that I ran into an old friend and that I needed to help him find a place to stay. I'll come home as soon as I'm done. Promise." She sighed and I smiled to myself.

"_Okay I guess. I'll cover for you. Just, be careful I guess._"

"I will. Bye Elena." I hung up and turned to look at Nikolai again.

"Who is this Elena girl?" He asked curiously. "Have you made friends again?" I stayed quiet and looked away but I knew that he had already figured it out. "Danielle. You know what he did to your last friends... The ones in New York... The ones in Milan... All of them." My head snapped up and I glared at him.

"Did you come here to remind me of what happened or to tell me what is going to happen?" I asked him sternly. "Because I'm taking a hell of a chance listening to you. For all I know, William could be around the next corner, just waiting to grab me and for you to lure me into his trap." Nikolai shot me a skeptical look.

"You know that if that were the case, you would already have been in his grip and you also know that it isn't William's style to let someone else catch you. He likes the hunt." Even though I trusted Nikolai somewhat, I couldn't be entirely sure he was telling the truth.

"Let's just get to my friends." I said and he nodded.

"Ah yes, the Salvatore brothers." Nikolai said and I looked at him again. "Will-" He stopped. "Let's go there and then I'll explain it to you." He said and I nodded in agreement. We walked quickly, I was in front of him the entire time, checking around corners as we approached the Salvatore Boarding house. I stopped abruptly about twenty feet from the house and turned around to look at Nikolai.

"Wait here. I'll go and talk to them first." I ordered and he nodded. I looked around through the corner of my eyes one last time before walking up to the door. I knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds. The door opened and I looked at the person who had opened it. Damon stood in front of me, shirtless. I stared blankly for a few second and he stared at me, until someone else appeared in front of me.

"Damon what's going- Oh." Stefan stared at me as well. "Have you finally decided to come back home?" He asked me and smiled. I opened my mouth but thought of better and closed it again.

"I need a place where it's safe for me to talk openly." I said and motioned to their house. "Someone decided to pay me a visit." Damon and Stefan tilted their heads to look past me and spotted Nikolai.

"Who's _that_?" Damon asked. "Some new boyfriend of yours?" I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head.

"That's Nikolai." I stated.

"Niko-who? Wait. Isn't that the guy who-"

"Yes." I said quickly. "Can't you please just let us in? I really need some friends around me for this." I was actually telling the truth now. I felt as if I might not be able to handle Nikolai's story all alone, and I would love for both Damon and Stefan to be with me when he told me.

"Of course Dani." Stefan said and pushed the shirtless Damon out of the doorway. "Go put on a shirt Damon. We have guests." He said in a mocking voice. "And maybe you should get rid of... Well. You know." He added thoughtfully and I looked between the two of them. I had no idea what they were talking about at the moment.

"Oh I'll take care of it." Damon said and walked off. I turned around and motioned for Nikolai to come. He was beside me the next second.

"Hello." He said politely to Stefan, who was eying him slightly suspiciously. "My name is Nikolai. I am Danielle's, well, at lack of a better word, friend." He said introducing himself. Stefan shook his hand. "Ah, you must be the younger Salvatore brother. Stefan, am I right?" He asked and Stefan eyed him again but nodded. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you..." He trailed of when I glared at him. "Let's go inside then?" He asked and I nodded. We walked straight into the living room and I sat down on the couch. Stefan sat down next to me but Nikolai remained standing.

"Tell me now. What are you doing here exactly?" I asked him and Nikolai sighed.

"I came here to warn you about William." He told me and I nodded.

"You've said that already."

"I know, but I have to begin from the beginning if your friend is supposed to be informed as well." He stated and nodded towards Stefan.

"You can jump straight to the point Nikolai." I told him coldly. There was just something...going on. He looked at me as if I had burned him. "Cut the crap and just get it over with. How do you know about Stefan and Damon?" Nikolai opened his mouth but closed it again, then he spoke with such a low voice that if I hadn't been a vampire, I probably would never have heard him.

"You came back to this place." Suddenly something began clicking in my head. Of course!

"How could I be so stupid!" I said a little louder than I had expected myself to. "I broke away from my pattern so he must have figured out I had left something here in Mystic Falls that I just wanted back!" Nikolai just nodded simply.

"So William sent me and Natalia, among with another couple of vampires to investigate the matter and we began sorting through the town's history, only to find that-"

"-This town was once swarming with vampires." Someone finished behind me. I let out a breath that I hadn't even known I had been holding and closed my eyes for just a second too long. When I opened them, Nikolai was staring at me suspiciously but suddenly averted his eyes to Damon, who had finally joined us after putting on a shirt.

"Could you please not interuppt me while I speak?" Nikolai asked, looking at all three of us. "I need to finish this quickly, before William notices I'm gone." He cleared his throat and continued . "Anyway, after finding out about the vampires in this town, William had us look for any vampires that might still live here, and unfortunately for _you_-" He nodded towards me. "-we found _them_." He turned his head sideways in a short nod towards Damon and Stefan. "William immediately knew you must have grown fond of the people in this town since you returned so quickly. You should have waited at least a decade before returning Danielle. Then it would have made more sence to him." Damon snorted.

"She was gone for an entire year. Shouldn't that have been enough waiting? And what patterns are we talking about here?" He asked, eventhough I think he actually understood.

"My patterns Damon." I said shortly. "I never return to the same place unless at least five to six years have passed. I returned after a mear year and that is probably why he hasn't showed up yet. He is curious to see why I actually returned and he has probably been watching me ever since I got here. Am I right?" I asked Nikolai.

"Indeed you are." He answered.

"So what is he waiting for then?" Damon asked. "If what you're saying is true, he has been watching Danielle and us for a long time. Shouldn't he have already tried something or has he gotten bored with her after 200 years of hunting?"

"Shut up Damon..." I said putting my hand to my forehead. Stefan walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"_I need to show you something..._" He whispered but I had no idea if it was one of his thoughts I had caught or if he had actually said the words. My world was spinning and I could feel my body tremble. Something was awfully wrong with this. Nikolai suddenly turning up, out of nowhere, to warn me about William. William was a hundred times stronger that Nikolai and he would probably be able to tell right away where Nikolai had been. Why would he risk his own life to warn me? Sure, he had had a slight affection towards me once, but that had only been a friendly fling... I closed my eyes and my hands moved automatically forward. I knew I grabbed something solid- a head- and the next thing I knew I was gone, in a grey cloud.

"_I saw Her at the Grill today with a couple of girls... A young man with dark clothes joined them..." _I watched the scene unfold before me. A man was sitting in a dark corner, smoking a cigar while drinking bourbon straight from a bottle. It was as if watching an old film, the images were blurry but I could hear the voices clearly.

"_How did She act around him? Is it like I suspected? Has She...?" _I shuddered automatically when I heard William's voice, but I was trying not to show any weakness.

"_I couldn't tell. I couldn't get close enough. I was just standing on the other side of the road. They would have both sensed me if I had gone any closer." _Nikolai's voice was strained.

"_You didn't try to contact Her, did you?"_

"_No."_

"_Good. Keep an eye on her and another one on those Salvatore's. It might be useful in the end. This time will be different. This time there are other things involved. It's a whole new puzzle that I need to solve... Something has changed with Her, and it might just be what finally makes her crack..."_ The scene changed and I was suddenly alone with Nikolai. He was looking at me with his black, vampire eyes and I just got that awful feeling in my gut. Then I pierced a stake through his heart.

I snapped my eyes open and let go of Nikolai's head as if I had been burned. He was staring at me, a shocked expression had covered his face, but for some reason, it was also mixed with fear.

"I heard your voice inside my head..." He whispered. "You were there. You saw it yourself. You know what you have to do..." I bit my lip and shook my head. I may have done a lot of things in my life, but I would not stoop down to this level.

"What do you have to do?" Stefan asked. He probably understood that I had looked into Nikolai's mind and seen something that I had of course gotten scared of.

"Danielle! Speak up already! I'm dying out of boredom over here!" Damon said loudly.

"Shut up Damon!" I yelled at him and turned to Nikolai. "I can't do what you want me to do Niko..." I said, calling him by his nickname.

"What does he want you to do?" Damon pushed again. I bit my lip and my chin trembled as the next six words came out of my mouth:

"He wants me to kill him."

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**_A/N: Uh-oh. I smell trouble ahead. What the hell is going on? Of course I am the only one who knows ^^ If you want to know too, review and I'll try to write faster and update in lightning speed!_**

**_xoxo_**

**_Spicy_**


	29. Chapter 29

_**A/N: Hey everyone. I know, I know. It has been a very, very long time since I last updated but believe me, I've had a reason.**_

_**My mom passed away November 3rd and I haven't been able to get any inspiration to write or do anything else but cry and cry. For a second I actually thought of just quitting everything but then decided against it. My mom would have been proud if she'd have ever found out that she was my inspiration to persue my dream to write and express myself. I loved her above everything and now all I have is my dad and my two younger brothers. She passed away ten days after my seventeenth birthday too, so it was all just too much.**_

_**But now, I have finally written another chapter, this one. I wrote it all in less than an hour so please undrestand if it isn't that good. There is a small Dani/damon moment in there that I think some might like. Please enjoy!**_

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Everyone was quiet for a moment. I heard some rustling upstairs and my eyes snapped to the ceiling for a moment. What was that sound? I decided to ignore the sound and my eyes moved towards Nikolai again.

"You want Danielle to kill you?" Damon said, breaking the silence. There was a slight tone of sarcasm in his voice. He chuckled and I glared darkly at him.

"Yes. It was never my choice to become a vampire. I wish to die and not harm another soul ever again." Nikolai said, as if that would justify what he wanted me to do.

"No. I will not...I will never-" I began but this time Stefan interrupted.

"Why would you want Danielle to kill you? You could have asked me or Damon, wouldn't that have been easier?" he asked. Damon took a step forward. He was now standing in front of me, with his back facing me.

"This is probably some scheme of yours." he said, looking straight into Nikolai's eyes. "If Danielle killed you, it would immediately draw William's attention towards Mystic Falls. If Stefan or I killed you, he would just assume it was a vampire brawl that went too far. Which ever way it would have gotten William's eyes set on this town and eventually Danielle. I'm sorry, but no matter how much I _despise_ Danielle at the moment, I will not allow a mad man torture her again- well, unless that mad man is me." he added. I could not believe he had just said that he despised me, but for some reason I knew that it wasn't true.

"I would much rather have Danielle to kill me than to be tortured by William myself after he finds out what I have done." Nikolai's voice broke slightly as he spoke and I once again bit my lip. What could he have done that might cause William to torture him...?

"What did you do?" Stefan asked, almost as if he had known what I was thinking. Nikolai looked at him, then his eyes traveled to Damon and then settled at me.

"Do you remember Angelica?" In less than a second, everything finally made sense.

"William thought you were in love with me..." I began slowly. "...but it was actually her you were in love with. His sister." Nikolai's expression softened slightly.

"I could not help it. It just happened. After William turned me and Natalia, Natalia turned against me. It was almost as if she would do anything for William and she did not love me anymore." he explained. "I was hunting one night, unsuccessfully, when I saw her..." He closed his eyes and swallowed. "When she noticed me, she just simply smiled and I was caught. I could not stop thinking about her, dreaming about her. It felt as if I would never be able to breathe without her."

"I'm guessing she loved you too then." I said and he nodded.

"She hated what had become of her brother. His obsession with you. His obsession with torturing people. She wanted to run away with me. We had planned everything but then he found you and we decided that we couldn't just leave you behind. She had always felt strongly about you. We decided to help you escape and when William returned, he assumed I had let you go because apparently he thought I had loved you. Angelica stepped in to defend me and told him that it was she who had let you out. William thought of it all as betrayal and he staked her, right there in front of me. The love of my life was gone and since then, all I ever wanted was to go away too, so that we can finally be together." I looked away. I remembered that moment. I had just gotten out and stayed for a moment, just to see when William pierced his sisters heart. I did not know of their story, all I knew was my own. William hadn't always been like this. I had once thought I could actually love him, but then he killed Rebecca and I began to hate him for what he had done to me.

"I will think about it." I told him. "Just leave. Now. Don't come back until I call your name- I know you'll be close. Just keep doing what William says until I say otherwise and we won't ever have a problem." He nodded curtly and then looked directly at Damon.

"You only despise what you are to proud to admit that you care about. Do not do anything you will regret. Run away while you still can- while he still hasn't found out the truth." Then he ran out of the house at vampire speed. I didn't understand what he had meant but I didn't care either. I looked at Stefan.

"Danielle. Please just stay here for the night. I don't want you to walk around the streets alone." he begged me and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I am over 200 years old Stefan, I think I can handle myself-"

"Your old room is in the same shape as you left if." Damon said. "You'll sleep there tonight. If this Nikolai-guy really was telling the truth, William already knows where you are, and it's just a matter of time before he makes a move. You're staying here tonight. End. Of. Story." He walked off towards their library, not even looking back at me. I looked up at Stefan and he nodded.

"For once I agree with him." he said. "Have a good night Dani. I'll call Elena for you and tell her you won't be home tonight." He walked off and went to his own room. I began walking upstairs but stopped and turned around. I walked down again and went to the library, only to find Damon there with a glass of whiskey laced with blood. He was absentmindedly looking out the window in the night when I walked up behind him. He turned his head and glanced at me, before turning back to the window. I walked up next to him and looked out too. We stayed quiet for a moment. He put the glass to his lips and took a sip. I looked down at his hand that was dangling by his side. Slowly, I reached for it and took it in mine.

"It's nice to know that you care." I whispered, not knowing what else to say. He took another sip from his drink. I didn't know if he was ignoring me but he still hadn't removed his hand from mine, so I guess that was a good sign.

"I saw you." he said after a moment. "With that Mason Lockwood." His voice was dripping in disgust when he said Mason's name. "You were kissing." I bit my lip.

"Yes."

"So?" he asked, when I decided not to go any further into the matter.

"So what?" I asked him back. I was still holding his hand.

"Are you two together now or what?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe. I guess so." He let go of my hand and put the drink down on the table and turned to face me fully. His icy blue eyes held some emotion that I had never seen before.

"You should be careful with him Danielle. I know I've told you this before but there is just something strange about the Lockwood's- and no, not just the same strange thing it is about every other family in this town. Something else." I stared at him for a moment.

"I know." I finally said.

"You do?" he asked.

"Yes." I replied. "I've felt it too. Whenever I've been with him I can feel that he is hiding something from me. However, I think he is about to tell me what it is. We're set for a date Monday night..." I noticed a skeptical look in Damon's face. "Don't worry, I'll tell you as soon as I find out." I winked. I patted him on the shoulder and began walking away. "Good night Damo-" He grabbed arm and spun me around. The next thing I knew, his lips were attached to mine and we were kissing. At first I was shocked but then I realized how much I had missed him and those incredibly kissable lips of his. His finger tangled in my hair as we desperately clung to each other, as if any moment could be our last but in the end, it was a sound that made me pull away. I turned my head and saw a brunette standing in the doorway.

"Damon? Are you coming?" she asked. "I've been waiting for over an hour." She looked dazed and I could tell that she was compelled. I turned around to look at Damon and he looked from the girl, to me and then his expression changed again.

"Danielle-" he began.

"I don't care." I said, the jealousy was rising inside of me. "What just happened was wrong anyway. I have Mason and you have your immature, teenage girls who are just looking to get laid. Oh wait, I was wrong, it is you who are looking to get laid and this is your new type I guess." Maybe I was being nasty, but I just couldn't help it.

"It's not as if you're an angel!" he said, defending himself. "What did you think? That I was just going to sit around sulking after you like a puppy? No, I have options too Danielle and yes, maybe those include compelled girls but at least she isn't going to..." He stopped abruptly. "Go to bed." He told me. I was fuming so I just walked off towards my room. I then heard him tell the girl to just go home and forget everything. I don't even know what came over me. So I was jealous of the girl. I couldn't help it. I loved Damon, and everything I was doing with Mason was just to protect him. All I could think about as I laid down in my cold bed was the kiss that had just happened down in the library. Guilt washed over me, both on Damon's and on Mason's behalf. I was leading Mason on, just to protect Damon and on the other hand, I could help but be drawn towards Damon. He was now a part of me, a part of who I am, and no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to live without him.

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_**So? What did you think? What will happen next? Please review and tell me if you liked it or if it just sucked in general. I would appreciate it. =)**_

_**xoxo Spicy**_

* * *

_**I would like a moment to remember my mother.**_

_**I will always love you mom, no matter if you aren't here in front of me. You will always be in my heart, together with all the memories and moments we ever had together.**_

_**R.I.P **_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Hey you guys! Sorry for taking so long with this chapter but I've had a lot of schoolwork hanging over my head! Finally it's here and you don't have to wait anymore! If you want daily updates on what I'm doing and writing, follow me on twitter (see my twitter name on my profile) and if you have any questions ask in a review and I'll be happy to answer! =)**_

_**I have a question for you guys:**_

_**1) Do you like Dani better with Damon or Mason? I'm having trouble deciding whether or not I should hurry up with the whole Damon/Dani/Mason thing or just get it over with in the next few chapters. Would you like more Damon/Dani or Dani/Mason fluff in the comping chapter? Your choice, make your voice heard in a review!**_

_**More questions coming up in future chapters! Enjoy and please review!**_

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I woke up early in the morning and snuck out to go for a hunt. It had been a while since I actually fed on something that was actually alive, so as I sunk my teeth into that squirrel, the blood went straight to my head. Even though it was an animal, it didn't matter since it was still alive. Just to feel a heartbeat was a change, and besides, I couldn't feed whenever I wanted at Elena's house. I had to hide everything from Jenna. That was when I realized what trouble I must have put Elena through. She had to cover up for me and Jenna was probably thinking I skipped town again. I just had to go home to them.

As soon as I opened the door to their house, Elena stood in the doorway.

"_Where _have you been?" she asked me, letting out a breath of relief. She was holding a phone in her hand and picked it up again. "She's here." she said to the person on the other line. I listened to hear who it was.

"_Danielle you are probably the biggest bit-_" I snatched the phone from Elena's hand before she could hear what he was about to say. She seemed startled but sat down in the sofa and listened to me while I defended myself.

"If you have something to say to me, say it to me in person instead of saying it over the phone. I enjoy seeing your upset face sometimes." I snickered and he growled at me.

"_How could you just leave without waking either me or Stefan up? Do you even know what could have happened to you? You are so stupid and careless sometimes!_" he yelled at me.

"Oh, that's coming from the right person, isn't it Damon?" I mocked him. "As if you'd care. Just go and sleep with that girl of yours again. Maybe she'll leave you a note next time she runs away from you."

"_Go to Hell Danielle!_"

"Too late! Already there!" I told him. "I should have just left town before William ever found out about you, Stefan or anyone else. That would have been better for everyone."

"_Not for you. He would have staked you if he found you this time because you have a tendency to piss people off._" he said as we both calmed down. Elena looked at me curiously when I let out a chuckle.

"Once again, look who's talking. You managed to piss me off pretty well last night." I began walking towards the kitchen for some privacy.

"_Which part? The kiss or the revelation of the girl?_" he asked me.

"Does it matter?"

"_Yes._"

"Well then, both I guess." I admitted. He snickered at me. I could just see his smug face in front of me.

"_Is that a hint of jealousy I sense in your voice?_" I rolled my eyes.

"No Damon. It's not. Besides, what happened last night should never have happened." I told him, looking once behind myself to make sure Elena was still in the living room. "If anyone finds out about this, you're a dead man."

"_Someone got there before you sweetheart._"

"Just stay away from me from now on. Just make it easier for all of us. In fact, it would just be easier if I staked myself right now..." I trailed off looking for any wooden, pointy item, but found none.

"_You love yourself too much to kill yourself._" he said after letting out a dry laugh.

"You'd be surprised by what lengths I'd go to protect the people I love more than myself." Suddenly there was a knock on the door and I froze. I inhaled and closed my eyes for a moment. It was safe, it was just Jenna. "I have to go now. Jenna's here. Bye Damon" I said and hung up before he had a chance to say goodbye.

"Danielle Brown. You are a liar, a traitor and every other word that I am thinking of right now that I don't want to say out loud with my niece here!" Jenna yelled at me as she entered the kitchen. "You promised me that you would be home and you went to sleep at Damon and Stefan's house? How could you? He's your ex-boyfriend and you have a new boyfriend that by the way is my friend! You-"

"I met an old friend and he needed a place to stay so I just showed him Stefan and Damon's house since they are the ones I know with the most room and they let him sleep there. They made me stay because it was already dark outside and they didn't want me walking home alone. Nothing happened between me and Damon, we are just friends." I said in one breath and she looked at me.

"Well, in that case: I take everything back." she smiled. "Let's go over today's plan-"

"Wait, what plan?" I asked, glad that she had decided to believe me, even though everything I had just said had been a lie. Well, at least most of it was.

"We have to go and pick a dress for you!" Jenna exclaimed happily.

"Wait, what?" I asked before I could stop myself. I had totally forgotten that I had obligations as the maid of honor. "No, I'm sorry, I just remembered!" Jenna looked at me strangely. "Maybe you should have given Elena the part as the maid of honor... I'm not so good at these things." I told her. She just shook her head and laughed at me.

"Well aren't you just adorable?" she said and I looked at her. "You are thinking about Mason, aren't you? You're nervous because you want to ask him to come with you to the wedding!" I looked at her. Yeah, sure. Let's say that _Mason _was the person I was thinking about. Elena and Jeremy walked into the room, probably wondering why Jenna was squealing.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked, as he watched Jenna beam at me.

"Danielle is nervous!" Jenna said looking as if she was in a fairytale. This wedding sure is changing her... Maybe she was becoming Bridezilla...

"I am not!" I exclaimed.

"Danielle nervous? Please." Jeremy said. "You have a bigger chance getting me to believe in Santa again." I gave him an appreciative look.

"So what is all this squealing about then?" Elena asked.

"Danielle doesn't know how to ask Mason to the wedding." Jenna said bluntly and I gave her a look.

"I don't have to go with Mason!" I said. "I can go with Jeremy!" I turned to look at him. "Will you go to the wedding with me Jer?" I asked him sweetly but he just laughed at me.

"So you're trying to avoid Mason?" he asked. "I would go with you, it's just that I'm afraid I might get Damon at my throat." Elena and I both froze for a second and glanced at each other.

"Yeah, he might get jealous Dani! That's exactly why you should go with Mason. Show him that you've moved on." Jenna said, not noticing the tension that was rising.

"It might be weird though, considering Damon is the best man and all. You'll have to walk down the aisle together..." Jeremy added. I stayed quiet for a while.

"Well I think it'd be good for you to go with Mason." Elena said, trying the dismiss the strange comment about Damon earlier. "He makes you happy." I smiled at her.

"I guess so... I'll ask him today then." Jenna took out her cell-phone.

"Do it now! Please, I want to hear this!" she said excitedly.

"_Jenna?_" I heard Mason answer. "_Is everything okay?_" I smiled to myself for a second. He was so sweet.

"It's Danielle." I told him and he let out a small chuckle.

"_Dani? Why are you calling maybe from Jenna's phone?_" he asked.

"Mine isn't working at the moment." I told him and he chuckled again. "So I was wondering," I began, "since you are staying here for the wedding you might not want to go alone and...uhm...well."

"_What if I like being the guy that goes to weddings alone?_" he asked me, his tone flirtatious. I could just imagine the look on his face at the moment.

"Well then I wont be asking you again. Bye Mason-"

"_No Dani wait! I was just kidding._" he laughed and I actually had to let out a chuckle myself.

"So was I." I told him. "So will you? Go with me I mean. To the wedding?" He stopped for a second and seemed to think about it.

"_Could you meet me at my house? I need to talk to you. This can't wait until Monday_." I narrowed my eyes for a moment.

"Okay? I can be there in ten minutes." I told him.

"_Great! I'll see you soon then_."

"Yeah, bye." I said and hung up. Jenna, Jeremy and Elena looked at me with anticipation.

"So what did he say?" Jenna asked.

"He asked me to meet him at his house." I told her, answering truthfully for once.

"Why would he want that? Couldn't he just give you an answer?" Jeremy asked, clearly confused.

"Maybe he want's to be romantic or something?" Elena suggested when she saw Jenna's face. She seemed very disappointed at first but Elena's word cheered her up instantly.

"Then you go meet with Mason and we'll see each other at the dress shop in town in approx two hours." she said.

"That sounds good." I told her. "I'll call you if it takes longer than expected." I said and winked. Jeremy put his fingers in his ears and walked off mumbling something about "not wanting to hear this". Jenna grinned at me while Elena just stared for a moment before smiling herself.

"Great, see you later!" Jenna said and walked away, already on the phone with a florist. I looked at Elena.

"I'm glad you're moving on." she told me and walked up to me. She hugged me closely and I hugged her back. "Just remember that you can't fool me the way you're fooling Jenna and everyone else. You still love him and you know it." I pulled away and looked at her. Sometimes I wondered if she was the one that could read thoughts and I was the human.

"Damon and I are too similar. Neither of us are capable of loving anyone else beside ourselves." I told her, maybe a bit to coldly.

"You know that's not true." she said. "You would both do anything for the people you love and care about. Damon would do anything for Stefan and you would have done anything for your sister, including hating yourself for what you think you caused." I could feel my emotions welling up inside of me. I walked past Elena towards the door.

"You watch too much Dr. Phil Elena. I'll see you later. I have to go meet Mason." I said and walked out, not wanting to hear another word from the truth.

* * *

I knew I had been a bit cold towards Elena, but it was just the way I had to be at the moment. I had been too soft, showing my weaknesses around other people that could become my enemies at any moment because of William. If he had his minions watching me, he would know my soft spots by now with the way I've acted. I walked up to the Lockwood mansion but before I could even knock, the door opened and I had Mason standing in front of me.

"Hey, come with me." he said and dragged me with him toward his car.

"Okay?" I said, slightly suspicious. I sat down in the passenger seat and he hurried over to the other side and sat down. He put the key in the ignition and turned it, setting the car in motion. "Mason are you alright? You sounded really stressed on the phone." I told him and he glanced at me slightly.

"I'm okay." he told me, but there was a tone to his voice that made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Are you sure?" I asked again. "Hey, if this is about the whole wedding thing then-"

"It's not about the wedding!" he told me quickly and I stared at him.

"Is it about Damon then? Don't let him scare you off. It's just the way he is."

"It's not about him either." he told me. "Or, well... In a way I guess it is." he mumbled but I caught on to the words.

"What do you mean...?" I asked him. Suddenly the feeling was overwhelming. I knew something was wrong and I just had to get out of the car. "Mason, pull over." I said. He sped up slightly. I didn't even know which way we were going, just that it was out of town. "Mason, I said, _pull over!_" I yelled it with both my mouth and my mind and he immediately stopped. It happened so quickly that I just had a second to react before bumping my head against the window. I got out of the car and glared at him as he followed suit. "Are you _insane_?" I asked him, but he just stared at me. "You could have gotten us both killed!" He looked at me for a moment, snapped his head to the side and then looked back at me.

"That's not true Danielle and we both know it." he said. I stared at him for a moment. "You would survive the crash...unless we crash into a forest and you get impaled by a tree..." My stomach dropped.

"What the hell are you talking about...?" I didn't sound so sure of myself anymore. It wasn't possible... He couldn't know, could he?

"I'm talking about you, Stefan and Damon." he said. "I know what you are...you are _vampires_." I reacted on impulse. I ran over to him in high-speed, knocked my head against his and felt him go limb in my arms. Before I could stop myself, I hurled him over my shoulder and put him in the backseat of the car.

"Oh no, no, no." I mumbled to myself. "Why...? How...?" I couldn't understand it! He knew about us! What was I supposed to do now? I sat down in the driver's seat and began driving back to Mystic Falls. Maybe Stefan and Damon could help me? Or would it just make it worse to have my ex-boyfriend help me interrogate my current boyfriend? Maybe we could compel him into forgetting? All I knew was that I had set my heading: The Salvatore Boarding House.

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_**OMG! Mason knows about them? WHUT? O.O**_

_**What do you think will happen? Will Damon rip out his heart or will Dani crush it? ;) Review and find out!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**Hey guys! **_

_**I know it's been a while, but I've finally gotten my summer vacation from school! Yay! This means I'll be able to concentrate on writing, unless I am working of course! Anyway, this chapter is long overdue so I'll just leave it to you guys to read and review. I had some trouble writing it because I didn't know if I wanted to end it the way I ended it but I just decided to follow my heart on this one and leave it just as I wrote it. Hopefully you wont hate me after reading it!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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I looked at Mason through the mirror. There was a small cut on his forehead but as I could smell, it hadn't been so deep, just enough to let a drop of blood trickle down his face- enough to make me hold my breath, not to go crazy. What the hell was that strong energy I sensed from him? How the hell had he figured out what we were? I reached for my purse and grabbed my phone. I dialed Stefan's number without taking my eyes off of the road.

"_Hello-_"

"Stefan, get a chair ready. I have Mason knocked out in the backseat and I need your help." I said quickly.

"_Knocked out? Danielle, what happened? Was it-_"

"No it wasn't William, it was me! He knows what we are Stefan! Get the Goddamn chair ready so that we can tie him up while interrogating him! I'll be there in a few minutes." I hung up the phone and sped up. This was going to be a long, long day.

As I pulled up in front of the boarding house, both Damon and Stefan walked out of the house. Damon was grinning like a madman and Stefan was looking just as broody as ever.

"I knew you'd get tired of him eventually but I never expected you to knock him out Danielle." Damon laughed.

"Stop it Damon." I told him angrily. "You know this is serious. He knows about us. He knows we're all vampires." I said, lifting Mason up out of the backseat and putting him over my shoulder. "Hide his car in the garage, someone might recognize it." I sped into the house and put Mason on the chair in the middle of the living room, which Stefan so nicely had put out. There was already rope there so I quickly tied it around Mason, without making a sound so that he wouldn't wake up. Damon and Stefan walked into the room and looked at me as I finished up the last touches on the rope.

"Now what?" Damon asked. I looked at him- _really _looked at him- for the first time since I arrived. He was wearing his usual clothes, all black of course. His leather jacket wasn't there though, making me wonder where he had put his favorite garment.

"Now, I get out of here and go to meet Elena. Hopefully, you two will behave while I'm gone and wont do anything...stupid." Stefan answered.

"I'll call you when we know how he figured it out. Please don't let Elena get suspicious." I told him, turning back to look at Mason who was still knocked out. "It might take a while for him to wake up." I said and followed Stefan to the door. Damon was left behind, keeping an eye on Mason.

"Danielle, don't do anything you'll regret." he told me.

"It's alright Stefan. Damon and I have everything under control." I smiled.

"That's what I'm worried about." he said. "I'll see you later." I closed the door and walked back to the living room. Damon had his face really close to Mason's while looking at spot where I had knocked out Mason.

"There is blood here but there is absolutely no wound." he said curiously. "Now how did _that_ happen?"

"I don't know. I did hit him hard enough to make it bleed. Maybe it was unnecessary." I said indifferently.

"I mean how does he not even have a bruise?" Damon looked up at me smirking. I scoffed at him.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" I asked him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I am enjoying this very much." he said, walking towards me. "I enjoy seeing the old Danielle who doesn't mind being bad... Quite frankly, it's turning me on." he told me and I couldn't help but smirk at him.

"Damon, I never stopped being _bad_... I just decided it was okay to let some nice into me as well."

He walked closer towards me and put his hands on my waist.

"Why don't you prove just how bad you still are?" he asked leaning in. I smiled and leaned in as well. Just as out lips were about to connect, I turned my head sideways. He stopped moving and I smirked. He let out a dry laugh. "That bad huh?" he said, understanding what I had done.

"That bad Damon." I told him. He grinned at me and I grinned back. Something just felt right with him this close to me. It got me thinking... Both Stefan and Damon were vampires. Both were over a hundred years old... I was over two hundred years. Together we were probably old enough to take on William... On the other hand, I didn't exactly know how old William was... although he couldn't be older than all of us together right? Then again, that only helps if we take him on as a team, otherwise he would probably beat us individually in less than a second.

"Dani?" Damon's voice snapped me back to reality making me realize how stupid my idea was.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Your boyfriend is waking up." he stated and I snapped my eyes towards Mason, who indeed was groaning and shifting in his chair. Damon let go of me and I walked towards Mason. I could however feel Damon's eyes locked on my back. I stopped directly in front of Mason.

"Well hello there." I said sweetly. "Nice to see you've woken up."

"Danielle, what's going on?" Mason said looking around. "Where am I?"

"The Salvatore Boarding House." Damon interjected stepping forward. Mason looked at me again.

"You brought me to your ex-boyfriends house?" he asked me and I nodded.

"You accused us of being something so I thought it was fair to have at least one of the Salvatore's present while I interrogate you."

"Interrogate...? Is this because I said you guys were vampires?" he said and I stepped forward grabbing his throat.

"How did you figure it out Mason?" I asked darkly. "How did you do it? Did you follow me? In that case you would've seen that-"

"You feed on animals? Well, I kind of figured that out because of the smell." Damon let out a laugh and I glowered darkly at him.

"So you did follow me?" I asked.

"Once." Mason answered. "It was enough." He looked at me and tilted my head sideways. I slowly loosened my grip on his throat.

"Did you suspect me before that?"

"Oh I knew it since the moment I met you." he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Really? How?" I asked curiously. "What gave me away?"

"I told you already. The _smell_. You reek of vampire." he told me and I looked at him slightly offended. "I did however not know whether or not it was because of your ex being a vampire of if you were one as well so that's why I followed you. I didn't mind though."

"Me being a vampire?" I asked as I walked over to stand beside Damon.

"Yeah... You see, I don't believe that the species you are controls ones character. I believe in the person inside and I liked your person." He looked down at the wooden floor. I bit my lip and looked down as well.

"Please." Damon said speeding forward and knocking Mason's chair backwards leaving him on the ground. This time Damon was the one holding Mason by the throat. "If you liked Danielle so much, then why did you suddenly confront her about it? How come when she knocked you out, your wound healed? Is there something you'd like to tell us Lockwood?" Damon snapped angrily, baring his fangs at Mason. Mason just laughed at him.

"You think your teeth scare me Damon?" he laughed and Damon glared at him.

"Damon, let go of him." I said.

"They should. Don't forget that I'm older than you." Damon said, ignoring me completely. "I could just end you right now. All it would take is to _rip_ your heart out-"

"DAMON!" I yelled. He snapped his head back to look at me. I could tell he hated to be laughed at, especially by Mason. "Let _go_." I ordered. He snarled at me and I glared.

"Why should I Danielle? He is a threat to us. He could reveal our identity any time he wants. Then we will be hunted."

"If it's true and he knew about me before, then he is no threat. He hasn't said anything about me before, why should he now?" Damon lifted Mason's chair up again and Mason smiled at me. I looked at him for a second. "However, if you want us to let you go you need to answer Damon's questions." Damon let go of Mason's throat and backed away slowly. "Let's hear it. How _did_ you heal so quickly?" Mason looked away.

"It isn't exactly something I'd like to broadcast..." he said quietly. He looked back at me. "I confronted you because I wanted to warn you."

"About what exactly?" Damon asked.

"Do you know what time of the month it is?" Mason asked. I looked at Damon who shrugged while looking at me?

"Dani always has her time of the-" I elbowed him in the ribs and he let out a small groan. "That was real mature Dani..." he said.

"Oh as if your comment would have been mature. Besides you know that I don't have-"

"Can't we discuss this another time? I think your boyfriend was about to say something."

"He isn't-" I stopped and looked back at Mason who was staring at us.

"I'm not...?" he trailed off and I bit my lip again.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to shut him up... I'm sorry." Mason let a tiny chuckle escape.

"If I was your boyfriend I don't think you would so eagerly have tied me up to a chair."

"Don't be so sure of that." Damon said smirking at me. Mason stopped and stared at me and then at Damon.

"_This_ is so awkward." I said putting a hand to my forehead. "Mason, please ignore Damon's dirty mind and tell us what you were about to tell us. Why did you suddenly feel the need to express your knowledge of me being a vampire?"

"Because-" he stopped for a second. "-I'm a werewolf." I looked at him for a while and we all got quiet. That wasn't possible... In all of my years I had never even heard of such a thing as a werewolf. In movies of course but they were just fiction... On the other hand, vampires hadn't exactly been on my list of things that are real either. Was it possible that Mason...?

"What?" Damon said sceptically. "I've never heard of real werewolves." he said, not believing Mason.

"Well it's true. Why else have I been turning into a wolf every full moon the past year?" Mason asked.

"I don't believe it." Damon said.

"Well you should!" Mason snapped at him. "I just wanted to warn Danielle because of the fact that I recently found out that a werewolf-bite can kill a vampire. I wanted to tell her to lock herself up and hide until the morning because I didn't want to accidentally kill her." he said looking at me. "Please believe me. You know I would never do anything to hurt you." he said and looked at me truthfully. I looked down for a second. The strange scent I had picked up on Mason...his healing ability and aggression problems... It all made sense.

"I believe you." I said stepping forward and untying him from the chair.

"You actually believe him?" Damon asked. "That story was so full of bull-"

"Damon!" I snapped. "I believe him."

"Well then you're just as stupid as-"

"I might be stupid Damon, but I see no logic in not believing him considering that it's a full moon tomorrow night and that he's just told us a bite from a werewolf can _kill_ us." I said. "I think it's safer for us to just believe him." Mason looked at me.

"You need to lock yourself up. I chain myself up in a secret place but I still believe it's safer for you to hide too. Just in case I get out." he told me.

"She'll stay here with me." Damon said while glaring at Mason. "If what you say is true, you wouldn't have even put Danielle in this situation from the beginning. You've put her in danger. That isn't something you do to the people you care about." Mason looked at us.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for things to end this way between us Danielle." he told me and I looked at him confused.

"Who ever said things were over between us?" I asked him. He looked at me strangely.

"I just figured that since-"

"No." I told him, stopping him from speaking any further. "I will not just abandon you because of _this_. Besides, I still need you to promise not to tell anyone about me and the Salvatore's." I told him and he grinned.

"I wont. I promise." he said.

"See! Now you've earned yourself a second chance with me." I smiled. "I'm sorry for knocking you out by the way."

"It's okay, it healed pretty quickly actually."

"Wait a second!" Damon snapped. "I can't believe you're trusting him and just letting him go. We should keep him locked up in the basement."

"If I may say something on that-" Mason began but Damon stopped him.

"No you may not!"

"-I don't think some bars would hold me up for very long." Mason continued.

"Stop it both of you!" I said to them. "Mason, you just leave right now and go home. I'm sorry for doing what I did but I had no other choice." I turned to Damon. "I need to speak to you. In private." I said looking back at Mason.

"I completely understand." Mason said. "I'll call you tonight at Jenna's to make sure you got home safely." he said and walked away. He stopped once more. "I'm sorry, but where is my car?"

"In the garage. Here are the keys wolf-boy." Damon said sarcastically throwing Mason the keys and waving at him to leave. Mason and I shared one last look before he walked out.

Damon and I stayed quiet for a while. We both made sure we could no longer hear Mason's car before we began talking.

"Are you insane Danielle?" Damon asked me and I looked at him. "If he is a werewolf and a werewolf-bite can kill a vampire you should be running the other way, not welcoming him back into your arms!"

"Don't you understand Damon? This is the only way..."

"What is? Do you think a werewolf-bodyguard is better than having me and Stefan protect you?"

"No, but if you think about it-"

"I don't want to think about it. I didn't like golden-boy before and I certainly don't like him more now." I stepped forward.

"Are you jealous?" I asked, knowing it would just irritate him.

"No. I am never jealous." Damon stated and I took another step forward.

"Listen to me Damon." I said. We were so close. Our bodies were just centimeters apart and our lips even closer. "This is the _only _way... Do you understand?" I asked emphasizing my point. Damon froze for a moment.

"You aren't putting yourself in danger because of golden-boy... You're doing this because of _William_." he stated, my point finally sinking in. "You're using Mason to get to William."

"It's horrible, I know, but I have no other choice. I don't know how to kill William and if a werewolf-bite is the only way to kill him, then I'm willing to use Mason." Damon looked at me for a moment.

"How will you get werewolf-Mason close enough to William without putting yourself in danger as well?" he asked and I looked down for a second before looking back at him.

"I guess that's just a risk I'll have to take."

* * *

_**Duh-duh-duh-duuuuuuuh!**_

_**What did you think? I really hope you didn't get upset by the whole Dani-uses-Mason-to-kill-William-thing. Besides, there is some time before the whole William thing comes up so I might- or Dani might- change her mind. Don't get me wrong here, she does have feelings for Mason but I think she just believes that this is the only way to keep Damon and Stefan- who she feels for even more- out of harms way. She is willing to risk being bitten herself just to get rid of William and I think that says a lot about her as a character.**_

_**Back to my original question, what did you think? If you liked it, please review. Reviews push me to write faster and I haven't been getting as many reviews as I used to so it feels like some are loosing interest in the story. If that is the case then tell me and I'll just stop and come up with something new.**_

_**And I have just one more teeny-tiny question: Do you think I should split this story into two? Or should I solve the William problem in the end of this one? I feel like it's all getting so dragged out, there are so many details I'd like to write about and that is why this story had passed thirty chapters! It feels as if there might be at least ten more chapters until the end. Do you think that is too much? Please share your thoughts and review! It will help me a lot!**_

_**Hope you had fun! And thank you for reading!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**A/N: Look, I know it's been like a hundred years and that you've probably gotten tired of me telling you that I'll update faster and stuff, so I'm just going to get out and say it.**_

_**I'M SORRY!**_

_**I have been so busy the whole summer with work, babysitting and generally just being with my family that I never had time to write. I want to finish this story up ASAP so that I can move on with my next project (which might be a TVD-fic *wink wink*) but I also want to make the last few chapters great! I really hope you'll enjoy this and this time I'm telling the truth when I'm saying I'll TRY to write faster and find more time for it.**_

_**I'm a senior now so it's kind of hard to keep up with everything. And I am also writing a book with my friend as a school project and that will be taking up a lot of time too. BUT I WILL FINNISH THIS STORY! I PROMISE!**_

_**Now, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! =)**_

_**Disclaimer: My God. I own nothing. I wish I did though, I really do... **_

* * *

Damon and I got into an argument that night. He said I was acting stupidly and not thinking of others as I did, but I told him that I _was _thinking of others because I wouldn't put him, Stefan or Elena or anyone else I really care about in the chair of having to fight off William with me, in case we'd actually be able to fight him off. He countered saying that I cared for Mason in one way or another and that it would kill me if he got hurt. He told me I was too emotional at the moment and that I should just let the stupid plan go. I just looked at him and left. Not saying another word.

Today I woke up with a massive headache. I have no idea where it came from but I decided some scotch might do me good. What was to point of being immortal if you still got headaches? On the other hand, was it possible for vampires to get a headache? This was probably my first one since I was turned... Nevertheless, no point thinking any further about something as small as a headache. I picked up my phone. I had several missed calls. Two were from Mason, one from Alaric, Elena and Stefan each and five from Damon. He had probably told the others that I'd left him abruptly and when I hadn't returned home to Elena's they'd all gotten worried. I leaned back on the couch, looking at the apartment Mrs. Flowers had gotten me last night. I had been walking the streets alone until past midnight when I arrived at Elena's. I listened to Jenna's heartbeat along with Elena's. That's when I realized what I was doing. I was checking on them to see if they were all right. I was _caring_. For a moment I just couldn't bear walking in. I decided it might be better to just rent a room for the night somewhere when I remembered Mrs. Flowers' apartment that I had once rented. She had been happy to offer it to me for free one night. I didn't even have to compel her. I drank the beverage she had so nicely put in the apartment as a welcome-back-gift. Suddenly mu phone began ringing again. I looked at the caller-id and answered.

"Hey." I said, filling the glass with another drink.

"_Dani, where are you?_" Elena asked. "_We've been worried about you. Damon said he called you five times last night_." I snorted.

"Well, he lied." I said. "He called me two times last night and three times early in the morning."

"_Dani,_" she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "_Damon said we all needed to have a plan for tonight_."

"How come you've suddenly begun listening to what Damon has to say?" I asked. I realized how rude I had sounded but at the moment the scotch didn't let me worry about it. I took another sip.

"_Are you drinking?_" Elena asked.

"A little...just got a headache. Thought it might help." On the other line, Elena sighed.

"_Could you just come home?_" she asked, "_Please?_" I sighed.

"Fine, I'll be there in twenty minutes." I told her.

"_Is that how long it'll take you to finish the bottle?_" she asked sarcastically.

"No, that's how long it takes for me to very slowly walk to your home." I chuckled.

"_I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me._" she apologized.

"It's my own fault. I worried you. I deserved that." I said. "I'll be there soon. Bye." I hung up and stared out the window. Would I be doing the right thing risking Mason's life just to save myself? It all seemed very selfish. Damon was right. I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt...but at the moment it was my only chance. I picked up my jacket and exited the apartment. I locked it and walked over to Mrs. Flowers' room. She answered the door after one knock and smiled at me.

"You ready to leave dear?" she asked me and I answered her by nodding.

"Thank you for your hospitality Mrs. Flowers. I owe you one." I told her but she simply shook her head.

"No," she said, "you are one of those special girls that always leaves the place clean so there is no problem. You're also an old friend. If you'll excuse me now, I'm about to go and talk some sense into some young man that keeps setting off the fire alarm with his cigars. Come back any time dear!" she said and hurried off. I followed her with my gaze and for a moment I thought of something strange. No point in making assumptions, I realized and walked out of the building. Elena and the others were waiting for me.

I arrived fifteen minutes later at Elena's house. I knocked on the door and Jenna answered it.

"Hey, is there anything you'd like to tell me?" she asked and I looked at her strangely.

"No? Is there anything you'd like to know?" I asked her back and she shrugged.

"Maybe why Stefan, Elena, Mason _and _Damon are giving me some hours at a spa for free? Did you know anything about that?" I looked at her.

"Yes." I answered. "It's a wedding gift from us, nothing really. We thought you might need it, the wedding's coming up and we have a lot to prepare for." I covered. She smiled widely at me.

"Oh thank you! You are so sweet!" she exclaimed. "I didn't believe them at first but now I just have to I guess. Feels good that I can trust you."

"Yeah. You can trust me." I said. "So, go. Have fun and I'll come pick you up later. I'm guessing that's your ride." I pointed at Alaric's car that had just pulled up in the driveway. He stepped out and walked towards us.

"Hey Dani," he said, "long time no see." I smiled sadly at him.

"Yeah I know," I looked down at my heels for a sec and then turned back up, "been busy with my personal drama show." I said with a sigh. "Maybe we should get together some day? Catch up?" I offered and he looked at Jenna.

"Would you be okay with that?" he asked her and I looked at her.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "You knew her before I got to know her." I checked my phone.

"Maybe you should get going so you wont be late." I told Jenna and she checked her watch.

"Oh! I didn't know it was this late!" she said.

"Maybe you could come join our little meeting later Ric?" I whispered to him after I had hugged Jenna good-bye. He gave me a curt, barely noticeable nod and a one armed hug.

"See you later." he said and walked over to the car. I watched as they pulled out of the driveway, Jenna smiling and waving excitedly at me as she put her seat belt on and they drove off. I kept my eyes on their car until they disappeared from my view before walking inside. Immediately Elena was there.

"I'm sorry." she said. I knew that she wouldn't just let what she had said before go.

"Relax Elena." I told her. "It's no big deal."

"You sure?" she asked and I nodded.

"Now please tell me, why have we gathered here today?" I said, walking into the living room. Mason, Stefan and Damon were all standing up on opposite sides of the room. Stefan was next to Damon, looking like he'd rather not be in the same room as his brother and my current boyfriend. "Well hello boys." I said, smiling widely at them. "What's up?" I asked sitting down on the couch.

"'What's up?'" Damon repeated. "How about wolf-boy over here is 'turning' tonight and we have no protection plan at all?" I tilted my head sideways looking at Mason who glared at Damon. He was clearly annoyed by his use of the word _wolf-boy_.

"'Protection plan'? I have a plan." I said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Oh, really?" Damon said. "Care to share?"

"Easy." I said. "Stefan is staying with Elena tonight," I said, pointing at Stefan and Elena while saying their names, "and you stay in the boarding house, locked up." I said pointing at Damon.

"Sounds good, what about you then?" Stefan asked. "Where will you be staying?" I looked at Mason and pointed at him. Mason looked at me confused.

"What?" he asked.

"I will be staying with you, to help you through it all." I said but Mason began shaking his head.

"I don't think you understand the whole 'I turn into a beast that can kill you with a bite'-thing. There is no way that you're staying with me tonight." he said. "In fact, I'd rather have you spend the night at the boarding house with Damon, locked up." Mason turned his head towards Damon. Their eyes met for a brief moment and they seemed to come to an understanding.

"So, what you're saying is that you'd rather have me spend the night with my ex-boyfriend than being with you through a difficult transformation?" I asked and he nodded.

"Exactly, except that it isn't difficult exactly, it's atrocious." he told me. "Besides, I would never let you risk your life just to keep me company." We looked at each other for a while and I sighed.

"Fine," I said, "I'll stay with Damon tonight. We'll read a book or something."

"Yes. Little Red Riding hood sounds perfect for tonight." Damon scoffed and I glared at him.

"Enough with your juvenile behavior Damon."

"So you got the reference? Damn, I thought I was being subtle." he said, sounding proud of having annoyed me.

"You are a lot of things Damon, but subtle isn't one of them." Elena sighed. I looked at her. It was as if she'd taken the words out of my mouth.

"Precisely what I was thinking." I told her and she nodded at me. I looked back at the others. "I think we should all prepare for tonight. Damon, I'll meet you at the house before sunset. Stefan and Elena, make sure Jenna doesn't suspect a thing. If she hears I'll be spending the night with Damon- and not the way some might think when they hear those words- she'll probably blow her top and hunt me down."

"I agree with you on that part." Stefan said. "I'll fill Ric in on the plan for tonight." he said, picking up his phone, ready to dial the number.

"Great," I nodded, "I'll call you guys later then, come on Mason." I said walking towards him and grabbing his hand.

"Wait a minute!" Damon interjected. "Where do you two think you're going?" I looked at him and grinned.

"I want to spend some time with Mason before tonight. Not just because it's fun, but because I need to check on how he's planning to lock himself up tonight." Damon's look showed just how much he disapproved of the idea, but he caved when I shot him a dark look. "I'll see you guys later then." I said and winked at them. "Come on wolf-boy." I said, grabbing onto Mason's hand and dragging him off. As I turned I just caught a glimpse of Damon's smirk, who'd apparently heard my use of his nickname for Mason.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, Mason showed me the way to the place he locked himself up. It was underneath some Lockwood property and it was obvious that generations of Lockwood's had used it to hide during the transformation. We weren't talking and Mason was being uneasy, which also caused some kind of awkwardness. Finally, after taking different paths underground, we finally found the place he was looking for. I looked around and saw claw-marks everywhere. I had been a little skeptic before about the whole werewolf-thing, but there was no way that some ordinary mountain lion could have made these marks. Mason dropped the huge bag he had been carrying on the floor with a big thud. Then he opened it and began taking out chains.

"Are you going to tie yourself up?" I asked stupidly. He offered me a sad smile.

"There's no way to be sure that they are actually going to hold." he told me. "When I turn, I loose all control of myself. I don't know if I can break free, but it has happened once. That's why I've bought extra-strong chains this time." I looked at the chains as he attached them to some loops on the wall. They did look a lot thicker than the chains I was used to seeing.

"So you'll chain yourself up," I said, "and then?" He nodded towards the bars that were closer to the door and took out a couple of locks from the bag. He threw them towards me and I caught them in my hand.

"Then you'll first make sure the chains are secure before locking me inside this room." he told me and removed his shirt.

"What are you doing?" I asked, covering my eyes almost as if I had never seen a male torso before. The truth was, I just wasn't ready to be on this kind of level with Mason.

"Well, considering that this is my favorite shirt, I don't want to ruin it as I turn." he chuckled and I could feel myself heating up from the embarrassment.

"Oh, okay then." I mumbled and looked at him again. He had removed his pants as well but my eyes stayed locked on his chest and abdomen. This was the first time I had actually noticed how muscular and well-built he was. Damon was also well-built, but he wasn't _this _muscular. Of course, he had the abs and all that strength, but he also had the agility of a cat, just like all other vampires. That made me sometimes forget what rock-hard muscles he hides underneath the black shirt and leather jacket that he always wears. I looked at Mason and for some reason a picture of a huge _dog_ came into my mind. Not that there was anything wrong with dogs, it's just that I had always been more of a cat person.

Soon enough Mason was locked up in the chains and I checked them once, just to be sure. He sat down on his knees and looked up at me. He looked as if he wanted to tell me something, but was trying hard to restrain himself.

"You'll be fine Mason." I told him and sat down in front of him. I put my hand on his cheek and he closed his eyes. I could feel how fast his pulse was pumping.

"You don't know how it is... I am never fine..." He opened his eyes and looked into mine.

"You were alone before. Now you have me." I leaned in and pressed my lips softly against his. Something though, didn't feel right. I pulled away and looked at him. He was sweating and had a look of pain painted across his face. "Mason?" Suddenly, there was a crunching sound and he screamed violently. I looked at my watch, it was already past sunset.

"Get out of here!" he screamed and there was another crunch as he screamed out in agony. I looked at his arm, which was twisted in an unnatural way.

"Mason...?"

"GO!" his scream came out like a snarl and I ran in vampire speed across the room, locked the bars with the several locks and then looked at him. Bones were breaking in his body as his transformation began. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had never seen anything like this.

I ran.

* * *

I walked straight into the Salvatore Boarding house and locked the door after myself. I turned around and saw Damon standing before me, his face barely an inch away from mine.

"Where were you?" he demanded and I just stared at him. Before my brain even had time to register what I was doing, I had embraced him in a hug while tears fell from my eyes and sobs rocked my body. He put his hands on my back, pressing me closer to himself, determined to support me no matter what.

"Oh my God Damon!" I cried and he held on even tighter. "I can't imagine how much it _hurts_ him!" Damon tried to calm me down but I just kept crying until there just weren't any tears left. I drew in a breath and pulled back a bit. His hands cupped my face and he wiped away my tears with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry you had to see what you saw." he told me and said nothing else. Then I hugged him again. This time though, I wasn't crying. Instead we just held onto each other as if our lives depended on it.

Soon enough Damon and I were sitting on the couch talking about what I had seen. He didn't say anything sarcastic or smug which I was very grateful for.

"It's just so _sad_." I finally said, finishing it all up and getting to the point. "No one in his family knows about it, so they can't help him. He's all alone in this." Damon looked at me and shook his head.

"Actually, he's got you." he said as-a-matter-of-factly. I remembered my own words to Mason before I left him. _Now you have me_. Damon seemed to be reading my mind. He let go of my hand, which I for the first time noticed he had been holding the entire time. Something cold went through me.

"I'm sorry Damon." I told him. "For everything." I knew he knew what I meant. He knew I meant that I was sorry for hurting him. He just offered me a sad smile, one that I had never seen on his face before.

"It's okay Dani." he said. "You are the kind of girl that cares about these kind of things. If you see a stray dog, you help it." I shook my head at his metaphor and chuckled.

"You just can't help but make the awful jokes, can you?" I asked and punched him softly. He put his hand on my cheek, suddenly serious. We looked into each others eyes and for a moment I wished things weren't so complicated. I wished that Damon and I had lived during the same time period when we were humans. We could have gotten married and had kids. A girl with Damon's icy eyes and a boy with my locks. We would have been happy together. Rebecca might have been alive as well. We could have lived next to each other and eaten dinner every day together. However, that was all just a fantasy. We are vampires. We can't have children. My sister is _dead_.

"Dani..." Damon whispered softly as he leaned his forehead against mine. His breath was cool on my lips. His scent intoxicated me. _He is going to say it_. My head was spinning. My breath caught in my throat. "Dani I-" A knock on the door stopped him. We froze. Time stood still.

"You need to open the door." I said after a couple of moments. He reluctantly pulled away.

"Don't move." he told me and I couldn't help but smile. I sat on the couch thinking about the words I thought I was finally going to hear from Damon. Of course, that would only complicate things even more, but I just don't care anymore. It hurts too much to care. "Dani! Get over here!" Damon yelled and in less than a second I was by the door. I looked past Damon and gasped. I would recognize those grey eyes anywhere.

"Nikolai! What are you doing..." I trailed off as I saw that he was clutching his side. There was blood coming out of a wound there.

"I was on my way to see you," he gasped in pain, "when a wolf came out of nowhere and bit me." I looked at Damon, who was staring at me. I could only think of one thing in that moment.

"Mason got out."

* * *

_**What did you think? Please review and tell me because I am desperate for some feedback!**_

_**Lots of love!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N: Woah! Hey guys! I know it's been like a hundred years since I updated this fic! I'm sorry to say that I actually lost my inspiration for a while, but now it's back! As some probably saw, I updated Meant To Be instead of this story and I am glad that I have gotten a few reviews on that as well as this one. anyway, now I'm back, and I'm writing as much as I can!**_

_**IMPORTANT note in the end too! Don't forget to read that one!**_

_**For now, enjoy this chapter and please review!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Vampire Diaries! I just own Danielle, Nikolai and any other OC mentioned in this fic!**_

* * *

It was quiet in the morning. No one running around, no one arguing. Everything was quiet. Well, not everything. There was a constant buzzing going on from one of the drawers in the living room. I had thrown my phone into the drawer after having answered a call from a very distraught Mason.

_Flashback_

_I watched as Damon helped Nikolai inside and put him down on the couch where we just moments ago were having a moment. I stood frozen because I couldn't believe what was happening._

"_Dani! Get me a towel or something! He's ruining the couch!" Damon said, trying to cover up his worry- maybe not for Nikolai, but for me. He knew I had seen my fair share of loved ones murdered and tortured. He knew that I might not be able to handle another one. Suddenly my phone began ringing. I picked it up, not even bothering to check the caller-id._

"_H-Hello?" My voice was shaky and I didn't even recognize myself._

"_Dani?" It was Mason. "Please Dani, are you okay?" I stayed quiet, not taking my eyes off of Damon who was trying stop Nikolai's bleeding. "Dani, I just woke up...in the woods...with blood in my mouth." Mason seemed to be trying hard not to cry. "Please tell me that it wasn't yours. Please Dani, just talk to me." I drew in a breath._

"_It wasn't mine Mason." I said curtly._

"_Thank God!" he said, sounding relieved._

"_It was my friend's." With that I ended the call. I put my phone on vibrate and put it inside the drawer, running over to Damon and Nikolai, to help them._

_End of Flashback_

I was sitting in a chair next to the bed that Nikolai was laying in. When we had put him there, he explained how strange it had been. He had been coming over to see me because he no longer could stand the constant abuse from William. Then out of nowhere a wolf appeared, attacked and bit him. He tried fending it off and was successful. Then he ran at vampire speed to the nearest building where he compelled a woman to let him inside and rest. He had felt better, when suddenly the pain came back and his wound began bleeding terribly again. That was when he ran to the Boarding house, because he knew he'd be able to find help here.

He had gotten worse since he arrived. When I explained to him what must have happened, he just stared at me as if he couldn't believe me.

_A werewolf? _His words echoed in my head. _I am going to die..._ It was at those words that I decided to stay strong. I raised my chin and told him that we didn't know for sure. It was only a myth... However, the state he was in now...

I put my hand on his forehead and he drew in a breath. His eyes were closed and he was sweating. I pulled out a small towel and softly dabbed it against his head. His eyes fluttered open and a pained smile appeared on his face.

"Who could have seen this day coming?" he asked and I looked at him confusedly.

"What day?" I asked him. "The day you get bitten by a werewolf?" I said it trying to joke, but my voice failed me and instead I sounded incredibly shaken. He chuckled softly and then coughed. I immediately pulled a glass of water to him but he shook his head. "Drink." I ordered.

"The other glass." he told me. I looked at the nightstand. Damon had filled up a glass with some blood for Nikolai, in case he got hungry. I reached for it and Nikolai gulped down the content greedily. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the taste.

"What day?" I asked him again once he opened them again.

"The day that you get to take care of me when I'm wounded." I had to chuckle as well.

"Well that's some dark humor right there." I told him and he chuckled, before erupting in yet another coughing fit. When he calmed down he looked up at the ceiling.

"Do you remember when we met for the very first time?" he asked and I looked down. I put my hand on his and squeezed it lightly.

"How can I forget?"

_Flashback_

**1981**

"_William you monster!" I screeched as he pulled me inside the house. He was much stronger than me and the vervain he had drugged me with earlier was still making me weak. "Let me go! Let me go!" He had a stern look on his face._

"_I told you multiple times Danielle-" he said, opening a door and pulling me inside. He turned me around so that I had to face him. "-I will not rest until you are _mine_." He growled the last word. I looked past him, through the open door, trying to find a way to escape. The only thing I saw was a pair of gray eyes in the shadow, watching as William tied me up. I smirked to myself._

"_You've made new friends." I said, facing William who looked towards the door. He ran over there and barked out an order- in Russian- before closing the door. "I see you have forgotten that I know Russian very well, Willy." I mocked him and he growled, only tying the ropes tighter. "Who were you telling to stay away?" William ignored my questions and walked away. "Whoever you are! I know you're listening! Get out of this house while you still can!" I yelled. William ran back, at vampire speed and slapped me across the face. I couldn't help but laugh. "See what I do to you? You just can't control yourself around me."_

_End of Flashback_

"Of course, that wasn't how we officially met." I stated. "You didn't hide in the shadows that time. Instead you helped me clean up."

"Like you are helping me now." he said, still smiling. I bit my lip and looked down.

"I am so sorry that this is happening to you..." I trailed off, not being able to continue.

"What exactly Danielle?" he asked me and I just couldn't help but snap at him.

"You're _dying _Nikolai! Can't you just be serious about this? I don't know what will happen, but I am trying to help you as much as I can!" Doing what I least expected, Nikolai laughed. His gray eyes were filled with tears and I could see that he was hurting, but he was still laughing.

"Oh Danielle," he chuckled, "sometimes you remind me so much of Angelica..." Something caught in my throat and I looked away again.

"How come?" It came out colder than I thought it would. He began couching again and I had to wait for him to stop until he continued.

"She used to take care of me like this too. When William tried drying me out and injecting me with vervain." He drew in a sharp breath and clutched his side. All I could do was stare at him...

"Why would he do that?" I asked, trying to shrug away the horrible feeling in my gut.

"Because he was trying out new ways for him to torment you." he answered, his tone serious.

"So once again it is my fault that he tormented you. First he thought you were in love with me, then he tortured you to figure out how to torment me later on."

"It wasn't your fault Danielle." he told me but I just looked down. Tears were stinging in my eyes, but I would never let them fall in front of him. I would not show weakness.

"I'm sorry." I said, not looking up.

* * *

Minutes, that felt like hours, passed, and we stayed quiet. Nikolai was the first one to break the silence.

"You have changed so much." he told me. "I am guessing it has to do with _him_." he said, motioning towards the door. I looked at him confusedly.

"Who?"

"Your boyfriend- oh, I'm sorry, _ex_-boyfriend." he explained, but I just kept staring at him. "Come on Danielle, I already know everything. William has had you under surveillance for far too long. I know everything from how you met, to how you broke up with him for his own safety, and how you began dating that werewolf that bit me..." he trailed off.

"So you knew there was a werewolf in town... Why did you risk going out at midnight then? Unless..." I stood up and stared at him. "You _wanted _this!" I yelled. "You wanted Mason to bite you, so that you could die! You asked me to kill you once, but I refused and now you have gotten so desperate, that you are willing to let a werewolf-bite kill you!" He stayed quiet, and I knew it was the truth. I put my hands over my face. "And now, you will suffer...until you die..." The realization had hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Don't worry about me..." he said, resting his hand on my cheek. "I shall be reunited with the person I love...Angelica..." He shifted as he let go of my cheek and sighed deeply. "You look at that Salvatore the way I used to look at her... You probably feel as if you would rather let yourself die than let anything happen to him... That you'd die with him if he died..." I bit my lip but I didn't dare to speak. Damon had left the house earlier to fill Elena and Stefan in on what had happened. Suddenly I understood why Nikolai was so okay with everything that was happening to him. If Damon had died, I wouldn't have hesitated even a second to join him in death. I would surrender to William, give up, have him torture me and let myself die. "Do you love him?" Nikolai asked, looking into my eyes.

"Who?" I asked, even though I knew perfectly well who he meant.

"Damon."

"I don't know. I have never felt true love." I told him, not wanting to bare my feelings, although all he did was laugh at me.

"You _do_ know Danielle. Last time you were caught by William, you had a fire in your eyes, unlike anything I've ever seen before." he said. "You were determined to survive and to come back to whoever was waiting on you here in Mystic Falls... I first now understand that it was Damon you wanted to return to." I chuckled slightly.

"You are still a young vampire Nikolai, you have no idea what I feel."

"I may be young Danielle, but I have loved and lost. I know how I felt after Angelica was killed. I am not stupid." His tone was serious once again. I contemplated what to say for a moment.

"I do love him..." I whispered. "But he can never know. He is complicated... He has been through a lot. If I told him the truth he might leave because he might not be able to handle it."

"_That_ is a stupid way of seeing things Danielle, and you know it." Nikolai said. "If Damon didn't love you too, he would have left a long time ago. Yet, he is still here and he is trying to help you kill William so that you can finally be together."

"We are not compatible."

"You are the same kind of stubborn people."

"Exactly my point. Our relationship would be made for failure."

"Or you could understand each other better than anyone else and complete each other in a way that no one else would ever understand."

"We both know that wouldn't be the case. We would kill each other."

"But at the same time die for each other." he finished and began couching again. Suddenly my phone began buzzing again in the drawer. He looked towards it and frowned. "Why don't you answer it?"

"Mason." was all I said and he nodded.

"Yes, the werewolf who has fallen in love with you, only complicating things for you and Damon even more."

"Could we please stop talking about Damon and me? Have you started a club or something?"

"Yes, the 'Team Damon' club." he joked and I couldn't help but smack him on his arm.

"Stop talking now. Rest for a while. I'll be here all the time."

* * *

A few hours later, Damon returned. He, Stefan, Elena and Bonnie had apparently tried finding a cure for the bite, but unfortunately they had been unsuccessful. I walked upstairs again to fill Nikolai in on everything, but instead of finding him in bed, I found him sitting in a corner, his hands over his eyes. I ran to him, but he pushed me away, screaming in agony as I touched him.

"It is all your fault!" he screamed. "_You_ are the one who's fault it is that she was murdered!"

"Nikolai, what are you talking about? Is it Angelica? Tell me what's wrong, please-"

"You killed Angelica! She helped _you _escape and that's why she was killed!" I stared at him, just as Damon ran into the room.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, when suddenly Nikolai pounced at him, baring his fangs at him.

"Damon!" I screamed as they fell to the floor, Nikolai on top of Damon, snarling at him. I ran for Nikolai, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, spun around and threw him to the opposite side of the room. He fell unconscious as I ran to Damon. "Are you okay?" I asked him, still chocked by what had happened. He nodded, but glared at Nikolai's unconscious body in the corner.

"What the hell?" he said and I shook my head.

"I don't know what happened either. He was fine before and now he suddenly began yelling at me."

"Who was Angelica?" Damon asked, and a lump formed in my throat.

"She was William's sister- and my friend." I told him. "Could you please leave? I need to take care of Nikolai."

"Dani, he just tried to kill both of us!" Damon exclaimed but I just shook my head again.

"No, he didn't. He's just a little confused. I'm guessing that's the venom working it's way through him. He isn't in his right mind-"

"All the more reason for me not to let you be alone with him! Didn't you say William thought he had a thing for you once? What if he thinks your this Angelica-girl, which he obviously liked, and tries to kiss you or something?"

"Damon stop! Just get out of the damn room and let me be alone with Nikolai!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I was upset as it was and Damon's accusations or assumptions or whatever were only making me feel worse. He looked at me with his icy eyes and left, without saying another word. He left the door slightly open, probably so he would be able to hear if something was happening. I walked over to Nikolai and picked him up, putting him on the bed again. His eyes slowly began to flutter open.

"Danielle?" he said.

"Yes?" He groaned slightly, shifting uncomfortably on the bed again.

"I am sorry for accusing you of killing Angelica." he said. "And for attacking Damon." I stared at him for a moment.

"You did that consciously?" I asked him but he shook his head.

"I don't know. Although it was as if seeing a movie unfold. I could not control my body, but I saw everything. I could not control the words coming out of my mouth either. It was as if the devil was speaking for me..."

"Oh." I said nothing more. "Do you mind if I lay down next to you?" I asked and he slowly pushed himself a little bit to the left so I could lay down. He put his head on my shoulder and I grabbed his hand. "How did you and Angelica meet?" I asked him and he chuckled.

"In the kitchen. William had just taken out his anger on me for not watching you properly and letting you escape. He shot me multiple times with wooden bullets drained in vervain. I was trying to get rid of the splinters left in my shoulder, when the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on walked in." He drew in a breath and closed his eyes. "For a moment we just stared at each other, but then she stepped forward to help me. We didn't speak at all, we just looked at each other. After helping me, she said good night and left. The next day she came back though. She ignored me at first, but when we were alone again she asked me how I was doing. She told me who she was, William's sister, and that she always lived a couple of houses away from him because she couldn't stand him at moments. Angelica shared a lot of things about William with me as we got to know each other better. One night, I told her I loved her. It had been less than a month since we had first met, but she believed me. She told me about her belief in soulmates..."

"She told me that once as well." I told him. "When she worked for me back when I was human..."

"She told me about that. She said she had known you ever since you were fifteen. She was your handmaid once, wasn't she?" I nodded, but didn't want to think of that for the moment.

"What happened next?" I asked Nikolai, and he continued, telling me how they used to sneak out at night to watch the stars together. They dreamed of a place, far, far away where William wouldn't be able to find them. A place where they could finally be alone... I closed my eyes.

* * *

"_Open your eyes Niko." I said, looking at him as he laid in the grass beside me._

"_I'm tired." he stated but I chuckled at him and punched him in the shoulder lightly. Slowly his eyes fluttered open and a smile crossed his face. "It is wonderful." he said, looking up at the blue sky that was slowly shifting into other colors as the sun began to set over the horizon. "Where are we?" he asked and I shrugged._

"_Does it really matter?" He laughed and shook his head._

"_I guess it doesn't." He stood up and grabbed my hand. "Let us go on an adventure Danielle." he said and pulled me along with him. For a moment, we just ran across the fields, for what felt like forever, until we finally reached the sandy beach by the ocean. We sat down in the sand._

"_Thank you Danielle... For all of this." he said, but I stayed quiet. "It doesn't even hurt anymore... Nothing hurts."_

"_I'm glad." I told him. His face turned serious._

"_Once I leave, you can't just give up." he told me. "There is a way to kill William, but you just need to think and dig deeper. You already know the answer Danielle. Your plan just has to be perfected."_

"_I know, but let's not think about that for now. This is about you, my friend." I said and put my arm over his shoulder, pulling him into a hug._

_We stayed quiet for a long, long time, just watching as the last rays of the sun disappeared from the sky. I looked up at a hill nearby, seeing a tall, brunette figure standing there with a white flowing dress. I smiled to myself and nudged Niko, who was almost asleep._

"_Hey, look." I said, and motioned towards the hill. He looked up and stared in the direction that I was pointing. His frown turned into a bright smile and he stood up. The woman on the hill began running towards him._

"_I can't believe this..." he said, tears in his eyes as the young woman ran into his arms, kissing him on the cheek as she pulled away from his embrace. He put his hands to her cheeks, staring at her with his gray eyes, not believing he was actually seeing her. "Angelica..." he trailed off and turned to look at me. "Thank you, Danielle." was all he said and I nodded._

"_Now you know that it is all okay." I told him. "Angelica is here to walk with you to the place where all the good people go... She will be with you forever now...and you will always be in my thoughts." he let out a chuckle and embraced me._

"_How about we race to the top of the hill instead of standing here, telling each other all the things we already know?" he suggested. He looked at Angelica, who nodded._

"_Okay." I smiled._

"_On three?" he asked and I nodded._

"_One..." I said._

"_Two..." Angelica said, laughing._

"_Three-"_

* * *

I looked the stake in Nikolai's chest. He let out a last breath and slowly began to dry up. I pulled the stake I had plunged into his chest out and put it on the nightstand. I slowly stood up and pulled the cover over his already cold body before I walked out of the room. In the hallway I was met by Damon, who was staring at me.

"It's okay..." I said. "He's gone... I didn't want him to suffer anymore... He wanted me to do it a long time ago... I-I-" I began to sob. "It had to be done! He would have suffered, Damon. I-" Tears sprung from my eyes and I could no longer hold them back. Damon stepped forward and embraced me as I cried and sobbed into his chest, holding onto him for dear life. Why did everyone around me keep dying? As I cried, I failed to notice that Damon had picked me up and taken me to his room, where he put me on his bed. He laid down beside me and held me all night long, quietly whispering comforting words into my ear and kissing my temple on occasion. After several hours, we both fell asleep in each others arms, only hearing a faint buzzing sound from Nikolai's room, where my phone still laid in the drawer.

* * *

_**A/N: Okay... I know I kinda used the whole "Damon-gave-Rose-a-dream"-concept from the show, because I just really wanted Dani and Niko to have a special moment in there. This chapter was supposed to be about Danielle and Nikolai and to focus a lot on their complex relationship. It is obvious that Niko in a way (once) blamed Dani for the murder of his beloved Angelica, although in the end it didn't matter since we all know who the greater evil in this story is (*cough* William)...**_

_**Anyway, I wanted to thank:**_

_**SomebodyWhoCares, If-Looks-Could-Kill-453, Mia Salvatore, SemiraBlake and the anonomys "Guest" that reviewed on Chapter 32. **_

_**To SemiraBlake: I am glad you liked Niko so much and I am so sorry I killed him off. It had to be done though. I needed a character who would show Dani's soft and vulnerable side and he was the one for the job. With his death, Damon would see a new side of Dani. The side he somehow knew existed but was never quite sure of. I think this was something that needed to happen to bring Damon and Dani closer once again... I am sorry though. Nikolai will always be in my heart! 3**_

_**IMPORTANT: I am currently writing a book as a schoolproject with my best friend and that is why I probably wont be able to write so much on my fanfics! Although, you could convince me by reviewing a lot =) Besides, I just turned 18 last Wednesday! Woop woop! **_

**_Now, please review and tell me what you thought!_**

**_Lots of love!_**

**_Spicy_**


	34. Chapter 34

_**A/N: Hey guys! I am so very sorry for not updating sooner but I have really had a lot of things going on for the last couple of weeks! I have been writing a book with my friend for a school project and that has been taking up a lot of time.**_

_**Anyway, I am back with a chapter of Tough Love because I pretty much have everything planned out now. After this chapter I believe there will be just six more chapters (don't know if I'm counting in the epilogue or not, but six). I hope you guys will enjoy it and review! The next two weeks will be hectic because of all the school work I need to finish before Winter break but then I'll take time to write and finish this story first of all!**_

_**Secondly, when it comes to my other TVD-fic "Meant To Be" I have alike three chapters planned for now and I'll get to writing those as soon as I finish this one.**_

_**For now however, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and for all of you Damon/Dani lovers out there (SPOILER ALERT) there si a moment in this chapter that I believe you'll like. ;)**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Dani." It was just a whisper, but I heard it perfectly fine. "Wake up, Dani..." I muttered a simple 'go away' and pulled my pillow over my head. "Will you just get up already?" The person pulled my cover off and I snapped my eyes open. Jenna put her hands on her hips and glared back at me.

"Good morning." I said, sitting up on the couch I had slept on.

"Do you even know what day it is?" Jenna asked and I looked past her, to where both Elena and Jeremy were standing and motioning wildly with their hands. Elena was holding up two fingers and mouthing something, while Jeremy was showing his left, ring finger. I frowned for a moment until it finally clicked.

"Oh my God! Your wedding is in two weeks!" I exclaimed and she nodded.

"Yes, and we have to make some preparations Miss Brown." she told me as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I'm so sorry Jenna. I was so caught up in my own drama that I totally forgot. I am the worst Maid of Honor ever!" She smiled weakly at me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, yes you are." she told me. "However, that can still change! We have exactly two weeks until the wonderful day and we have almost taken care of everything. The only thing that is left is finding a place for the ceremony, the reception, your dress, Elena's dress, rent a tux for Jeremy _and _my dress! Don't forget the decorations." I stared at her bewildered for a while.

"Exactly what have you _taken _care of?" I asked and she blushed.

"I have a few things picked out but I can't seem to chose between them... Elena has tried to help me, but she doesn't really understand the whole wedding thing because she's just so young and want's everything to be _princess-y_." Elena began to protest, but a look from Jenna and she stayed quiet. I stood up.

"Well, let me just get dressed and I'll see what I can do for you, my dear friend." I said.

A couple of minutes later I was dressed and stood brushing my teeth. I sighed deeply, looking myself in the mirror. My hair had grown quite a bit since I came back to Mystic Falls. I had actually allowed Jenna to help me get it back to my natural hair color, and now I was once again back to my dark brown... I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I rolled my eyes, already knowing it would be Mason...or Damon, since I had been avoiding them both for two whole weeks, since Nikolai's death. An awful feeling grew in my stomach, as I remembered how I had snuck out early in the morning before Damon woke up. I had taken Nikolai's body with me and buried it in the woods, far away from prying eyes. Damon had frantically texted me, asking if I was alright and where I was, and I had simply told Elena to tell him that I needed time to think. I knew it was true though. I had felt it for a while. That feeling of having every move I made watched and written down somewhere. I knew William was near and it was just a matter of time before he made his move. This time though, I will fight back, and this time, he will not win. For now, however, I had to concentrate on helping my friend and make her wedding the best wedding in the world.

* * *

"What do you mean 'there isn't a spot available for the ceremony'? It's a church for fu-"

"Language, young lady!" the Pastor exclaimed. "Remember, you are in God's house." I glared at him for a moment. Yes. It may be God's house, but I am an abomination anyway and damned, so what difference did it really do if I swore or not? However, I decided to be respectful, something that some humans are incapable of being.

"Please Sir. Isn't there any way to have the ceremony here?" I asked again. I looked towards the door, where Jenna stood with Elena, looking worried. I gave her a thumbs up and she smiled weakly at me.

"I really am sorry Miss Brown. It's impossible for us to arrange that in such short notice. You should have been here a long time ago. We simply can't be ready for a wedding in two weeks. However, if your friend would like to postpone it a couple of weeks, I may be able to-"

"No." I shook my head. "She's postponed it long enough. We'll just have to find somewhere else to have it." I shook the pastors hand and walked back to Elena and Jenna.

"It didn't work." Jenna stated, seeing my defeated look. I shook my head.

"We'll just have to try somewhere else." I told her. "We should have done this ages ago and it's all my fault that we haven't. I'm so, _so _sorry Jenna." I told her. She stepped forward and hugged me.

"It's okay, Dani." she told me, but something in her voice told me she regretted leaving all of this for the last minute. I pulled away as my determination took over.

"You know what? First of all, I don't understand how these people don't have space for one, _small_ wedding. It's not as if this is L.A or something; it's Mystic Falls! Secondly, I am going to make this the most memorable wedding, in the history of weddings! Come on!" I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me towards her car as we began driving to the dress-shop instead.

All of this wedding planning made me forget about my problems for a while. For a moment or two, I managed to completely forget about Nikolai's decaying body in the woods, Mason's constant phone calls and Damon's text messages. Jenna was feeling better. She had tried on over twenty dresses and loved each and every one of them, which made the decision just a little tougher.

"I really like this one," she said, holding up a simple gown, "although,I _loved _the last one." She pointed at the ivory, satin dress without straps that she had tried on earlier.

"Well, I'll take a picture of this one and you'll try the other one again and then you'll choose." I told her and snapped a picture. Jenna nodded and the shop assistant took the dress and walked off with her to help her get changed. Elena turned to look at me.

"How can you be so calm about everything?" she asked me, her tone hushed. I raised an eyebrow.

"Be so calm about what exactly, Elena?" I asked and she made a motion with her hands.

"_Everything_." she stated. "Your friend _died_ last week. You have been pretty much isolated for a week and a half, except for when Stefan and I have brought over blood bags for you. Now you're trying to plan a wedding that is supposed to happen in just _two weeks_. You do know that it is impossible, right?" I looked at her as she stopped her rambling.

"Look, Elena," I began, "vampires don't have time to stop and mourn our dead ones. Those of us who haven't switched off our emotions might _feel_ pain, but we do not _show_ them. We might mourn for a while, but we know that life moves on. When you are immortal you know you can't just sit around and mope about something that is unchangeable." I told her. "As to planning Jenna's wedding: I have it all under control. _Nothing_ is impossible." I said calmly.

"Why haven't you been talking to Mason then? Or Damon?" she pushed and I shrugged.

"I can't deal with either of them right now. Mason basically _killed _my friend, even though I know that he didn't mean to. I have forgiven him, but I have other things going on with him that even he doesn't know about..." I trailed off.

"And Damon?" Elena inquired. I sighed once again.

"Complicated." Just as I said the word, Jenna walked out, a bright smile on her face. The dress hugged her perfectly as it fell to the floor. She twirled around in it once.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked and I let out a deep breath.

"I think you've found your dress." I told her, grinning widely at her. She smiled, just as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, I can't believe I finally found it!" she cried, covering her face with her hands. "I was so worried that nothing would work out now that we are so last minute on everything." I stood up and walked over to her. I put my arms out and she walked into my embrace.

"We'll make everything work, Jenna. Everything will be just like you want it to be, I'll make sure of that."

* * *

Later that evening, Elena, Jenna and I were sitting on the couch in their house.

"I'm exhausted." Elena exclaimed, throwing her feet up on the table.

"My head hurts!" Jenna complained. "Too much shopping for one day." She pushed away Elena's feet and put up her own.

"Oh you two... I don't get how you can be so tired after this wonderful day." I said, putting down the bags I had carried from the car. Elena was glaring at Jenna for shoving her feet off the table and I had to chuckle at her. "Besides, we managed to fix a lot of things today. First of all, your dress Jenna and secondly the whole design of the wedding is done." Both of them nodded.

"All we have to do now, is find a dress for you and for me and a place for the ceremony." Elena stated.

"Told you we could pull this off. Tomorrow we'll just have to find a place for the ceremony and go dress shopping for me, which will be easy, since I'm not as picky as you Jenna." I laughed when she threw a pillow at me. "How about we make it an only-girls-aloud-movie-night?" I suggested and Jenna jumped excitedly, forgetting all about her tiredness.

"I'll go get _The Notebook_. She said and ran upstairs." Elena and I were left alone. She looked at me funnily.

"I can't believe you're actually able to pull all of this off." she told me and I shrugged.

"I'm just amazing." I joked, but she frowned slightly.

"You haven't used any compulsion, which is pretty impressive." she stated and I looked at her.

"Elena, us women can be persuasive in other ways. There is absolutely no need for me to compel anyone to pull off the most amazing wedding in Mystic Falls' history." She bit her lip and I looked at her strangely. "Did you _want_ me to compel someone?" I asked and she blushed.

"No! I mean- Yes? I don't know..." she trailed off and I looked at her for a while.

"You are obviously talking about the Pastor." I stated and she shrugged.

"Jenna has never specifically said that she wanted the ceremony to be held in a church, but since the wedding is getting colder and colder we might not have another choice than to have it inside. Besides, it might have made the Pastor re-check if they had time for one ceremony..." I shrugged.

"Elena, don't worry about it. I will not use any compulsion on anyone for this. I don't need to. Besides, I already have an idea for the place of the wedding. I just need to talk to someone before I make the arrangements..." Elena smiled at me.

"Have I told you how amazing you are?" she asked and I shrugged.

"You don't have to, I already know. However, it doesn't hurt to remind me sometimes." I winked, just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Elena said, walking off. I smiled and walked over to sit on the couch. Jenna was talking awfully long with that movie of hers... "Dani? There's someone here to see you." Elena said, walking back to the living room. I raised an eyebrow and stood up, walking towards the door. My eyes widened as they met with the icy-blue ones. Damon looked at me and I stared back at him.

"Hi." he said after letting out a breath. I stared at him and bit my lip.

"Hey." I said silently. We stared at each other for a while. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, black boots and a black jacket. His dark hair was tussled, almost as if he had spent a lot of time just running his fingers through it. It suited him though... I couldn't really understand why he was here. Of course, I had been ignoring him for two weeks straight and hadn't replied to a single text or call from him. I heard footsteps behind me and heard them stop abruptly.

"Damon? What are you doing here?" Jenna asked. She didn't sound as annoyed as she used to when she greeted him. Instead she sounded surprised. Reluctantly he moved his eyes towards Jenna and smirked (obviously keeping up an appearance).

"I came here to talk to Danielle." he stated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, which I suppose it was.

"Oh." Jenna said. "I'll leave the two of you alone then..." She walked away. I still hadn't taken my eyes off of Damon, who once again turned his attention back on me.

"Can we talk outside?" he asked after a good minute of staring again. I nodded and picked up my coat.

"Sure." I told him. "We can take a walk." We stepped outside and I felt the cold air hit me. It was incredible how quickly the weather changed here in Mystic Falls. It had been a simple Winter day, but once again I could feel how it was about to snow. It hadn't snowed since Mason and I had gotten together for this first time, but earlier this week it had been snowing a bit. People had begun decorating their houses and were Christmas shopping like crazy. At the moment however, Damon and I walked silently through the neighborhood where Elena lived. Our hands brushed once or twice and I constantly felt the urge to take his hand in mine, but at the same time, I couldn't help but think of Mason. It was unfair to him. Everything that I was doing was unfair to him. Sure, I did have some kind of feelings for him, but I knew that he wasn't the one for me... The man that at the moment was walking beside me, with his hands so close to mine, yet so far away, had that special place in my heart... That was why it was so unfair. Mason had genuine feelings for me while I mostly pretended. Not only that, but now I was also planning to use him as a pawn to get rid of William, putting his life in danger as well...

Damon pulled me to a stop. We looked at each other again.

"How are you doing?" he asked and I felt how my heart swelled.

"Fine." I told him, although I didn't sound very convincing.

"It is okay to admit that you aren't fine you know." he told me and I nodded.

"I know, but I am fine... Really. I spent the whole day with Elena and Jenna, shopping for Jenna's and Ric's wedding. I had a good time." He looked at me, looked away and shook his head. "What?" I asked and he shrugged.

"And here I was, being worried about you and your mental stability." he said and I saw a slight smirk form on his lips.

"My mental stability? Really Damon?" I asked skeptically and he shrugged.

"Yeah."

"You were worried about me?"

"Yeah..." he trailed off and I looked away.

"Well, you know that you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself." I told him and he turned back to look at me.

"Why have you been ignoring me completely?" he asked bluntly, probably moving on to the conversation he had wanted to have with me from the beginning.

"I thought you understood the whole meaning with me moving out of the Boarding house. It was to keep you and Stefan safe. I have just been doing what I should have done from the very beginning." He glared at me.

"You have never been able to stay away. Even when your purpose was to stay away from us, you talked to both Stefan and me-"

"Because I didn't have a choice." I interrupted. "Every time an issue came up, I had to speak to you because you are the only other vampires I know in town. There aren't any others now Damon. That is why I had to turn to you."

"And two weeks ago? When we were in my living room?" he asked. I knew he was talking about our moment on the couch. The time I had thought he was going to tell me the three little special words I had wanted to hear ever since I fell in love with him...

"That was nothing Damon... We were wrong to think we could have _one _happy moment together. There is always going to be something that comes in the way." I told him and he put his hands on my cheeks. They were warm, compared to the cold wind blowing through the street.

"Not now." he told me. "We are all alone in the street. There isn't a soul in sight and it's dark. No one would be able to see anything..." he trailed off, his eyes traveling down to my lips. His one hand went down to take my hand in his. I felt tingles run through my fingers... "I just need to tell you..." he whispered and leaned his forehead against mine. I shook my head.

"Don't say anything Damon." I told him. "It will just make things-"

"Shut up." he told me, silencing me. "For once Danielle, you are not the one in control of the situation. There is no one here to interrupt us and I am going to kiss you, because I am selfish. I am going to kiss you, just because I want to and I don't care whether you're together with the Dog or not. I'll leave you alone, as long as I get to kiss you tonight." I didn't say anything, but very soon, I felt his lips brush against mine. The kiss was soft and slow, as if he was trying to remember every second of it. I kissed him back slightly but he pulled away. We stared at each other for a while.

"I have to get back home..." I whispered after a while and he nodded.

"I'll walk you there."

* * *

We arrived at the house a few minutes later. Standing on the steps, I turned back to him. Once again, we were just looking at each other.

"You are not selfish Damon," I told him, "and I'm glad that you still care." I told him. He didn't reply. "I am the selfish one. You are right. If I really did want to protect you, I wouldn't have come over to you all the time. It's like I said, I am selfish." He looked at me and smiled slightly.

"We are pretty similar, you and I, aren't we?" he asked and I laughed.

"Yeah. That's probably what has pulled us together." I told him.

"Excuse me, you mean pulled _you_ towards me." he said and I smacked him on the shoulder lightly.

"Good night Damon." I said and he smiled at me.

"Good night Danielle, I'll see you around." he said and took my hand in his, kissing my knuckles lightly, before walking away. He walked backwards, still keeping his eyes on me, until he reached the street and vamp-sped out of there. I sighed deeply, not knowing how to react or what to do. I walked inside and was met by Jenna, standing with her arms crossed over her chest. A small smile was playing on her lips.

"So?" she asked and I shrugged.

"So what?" I asked.

"Well, I saw that the two of you were having eye-sex and now I'm wondering whether or not he decided to proclaim his love for you." I grinned at her and shook my head.

"We were so _not _having eye-sex." I said. She raised her eyebrows at me.

"Tell that to him. He was eying you like a piece of meat."

"Well, nothing happened. We talked, that's all." I decided to lie.

"You have been ignoring Mason for two week now. Why am I thinking it may have something to do with Damon?" she asked me and I shook my head.

"Look, Jenna. I don't want to hurt Mason's feeling, but I don't really know what I feel about him. That is why I have been ignoring and staying away from him for two weeks." Once again with all the lying.

"So it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you still love Damon?" she asked and I looked down.

"Maybe..." I replied and looked back at her. "I'm so sorry Jenna. I just don't feel the same way about Mason... He's so very sweet and I am going to break his heart if I break up with him. I don't want to do that to him." Jenna looked at me for a while before sighing deeply.

"Well, at least you're being honest. Maybe I was wrong to set you up with him. Maybe you and Damon really are meant to be together." she said and I shook my head.

"Maybe I am supposed to stay single for a while. It might be easier for me. To clear my head you know?" She nodded and I bit my lip. "You aren't mad, are you?" She shook her head and smiled at me.

"Of course not. I mean, Mason is my friend and all, but so are you. Besides, girl-code says I need to be on your side no matter what. Don't stress about it, but you need to talk to-" The doorbell rang again. We looked at the door for a while before Jenna walked over to open it."Mason?" I sighed deeply. Could this day get any more stressful? I walked over to the door and looked at Mason, who much like Damon had tussled hair. His cheeks were however red from the cold.

"Hi." I said and he looked at me.

"Can we talk?" he asked, ignoring Jenna completely. She turned to look at me.

"Good luck." she whispered as she passed me. I nodded at Mason and once again grabbed my coat. As soon as I was outside and had closed the door, he began rambling on about how sorry he was for what had happened to Nikolai. I listened to him and didn't stop him until he finished.

"I don't really know what to say Mason." I told him honestly.

"Please just say that you forgive me. I can't handle having you hate me any longer." he said and grabbed my hands in his. I looked at him for a while and frowned.

"I don't hate you." I stated.

"Then why have you been ignoring me for two weeks straight?" he asked, confused.

"Well, one of my best friends died because of you, but you couldn't control yourself at the moment, so it wasn't really your fault." I told him. "I've just been very confused about what I feel and I didn't really know what to do when I met you again after Nikolai's death. That's why I have been ignoring you." He looked at me.

"You're confused about your feelings?" he asked. "Is this about Damon?" I shook my head.

"Damon has nothing to do with my confusion over my feeling for you." I told him. "It's just that I have a lot going on in my life and I don't really know where you fit in yet." He frowned at me.

"I am your _boyfriend_ Danielle. You haven't exactly broken up with me so we are still officially together."

"Mason. This isn't about _us_ either. This is about me, _just_ me. I think I need to explain..." I told him to sit down and then proceeded to tell him about William and everything that worried me. It was easy to talk to him. He was a good friend, but that was pretty much all that I felt about him I realized. After a while he spoke.

"So, what you're trying to tell me is that your ex-boyfriend is hunting you down and killing everyone you care about in the process, just to make you love him and marry him?" he asked and I nodded.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" I said sarcastically and he shrugged.

"Sounds like a drama show. Although, it does make a lot of sense. That is why you broke up with Damon in the first place, isn't it? Because you wanted to protect him from this William-guy?" I looked away.

"I am so sorry Mason." I told him. "I really like you, but that is the truth. I can't even imagine what you must be thinking about me now." I buried my face in my hands. Mason however, put his hand on my back.

"It's okay Danielle." he told me. "I understand." I knew that it was official now. We had broken up without even having to say the words. I looked up at him.

"I really am sorry." I told him and he shrugged.

"Well, it's not as if I'm in love with you, Danielle." he said. "I just really like you. If you just want to be friends, that's all right with me. As long as you don't shut me out of your life." He told me and took my hand in his. "Besides, if William really has figured out where you are, you need all the help that you can use." he grinned at me. I grinned back at him.

"Would you get mad if told you I already have a plan that involves you?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Does it involve Damon?" he asked and I shook my head. "Then I am on board. However, I only ask one thing from you..." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Please don't break up with me just yet." I stared at him, my eyes wide as saucers. After everything I had just told him, he was still willing to be together with me?

"What?" I asked, this time confused.

"Well, I figured that since you don't hate me, but you aren't together with Damon either, you may actually come to have deeper feelings for me. Maybe we should still give it a shot?" he suggested. I thought about it for a while. I understood that it made sense to him, but for me it was absurd. I also knew that I would be even more unfair if I just broke up with him without really giving it a try. I remembered the night he turned into a wolf in front of me. His agony and pain. He would have been alone if it wasn't for me. If I broke up with him now, he wouldn't have anyone that understood him and he would probably become isolated. I felt sorry for him.

"Okay." I said, before I could think any deeper into the matter. He smiled at me and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine in a soft kiss. It really was unfair to him though, considering that all I could think of was my last kiss with Damon, just half an hour earlier.

* * *

_**A/N: Ooooooh! Dani is still thinking about Damon! Well, you got your little Damon/Dani kiss that I interrupted when Niko came over with his werewolf-bite. I hope you enjoyed it, even if Dani in the end stayed with Mason.**_

_**Damon might have been a bit OOC, although I do believe that he has been a bit softer in the series lately too, don't you think? I mean, he isn't a COMPLETE a*shole... And I really do believe that he likes Dani, A LOT.**_

_**When it comes to Dani staying with Mason. We all know that she actually did it out of pity for him. And another thing, now that Mason know about William, do you think he'll be willing to help Danielle? I mean, he did seem pretty up for it in this chapter, didn't he?**_

_**Please tell me what you thought of the chapter! I will love you to bits and I'll write the next chapter as soon as I'm done with school!**_

_**Also: Do you think I should write A Klaroline one-shot? I am a huge Klaroline shipper, eventhough I love Forwood! Sorry, I still love Tyler but there is just something about Klaus... It's probably the accent; I'm a sucker for British people! ;)**_

_**Well, I hope you enjoyed. Please review and feel free to ask questions!**_

_**Lots of love!**_

_**Spicy**_

_**P.S. The next chapter will involve some Damon/Dani moments too! ;) Just to inspire you to review.**_

_**P.P.S. What did you think of Jenna's "Eye-sex" comment? Could you imagine that look from Damon, all like: "I am imagining tearing your clothes of right now..."**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N: Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since I updated this story, but I finally got the inspiration to write this chapter. =) Thank you to 1llu510n, who inspired me with her long, long review that made me remember this story! I wrote this chapter very quickly, since I kinda promised that I would update this weekend. I think it's pretty average, but still, please review ;) **_

_**If you haven't checked out my other TVD-fanfic, Meant to Be, you should do so because I'm focusing a lot on that one at the moment. This story will be finished soon enough and I'm very excited about the ending! I already have it all planned out, along with a lovely little epilogue...**_

_**However, for now I hope you'll enjoy this, awfully short chapter (that is more like a filler chapter, sorry...).**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**(OH and thank you to all of those who reviewed chapter 34!)**_

* * *

"Do I really need to try the first dress on again?" I asked Jenna, who was sitting next to Elena on the couch in the middle of the room, furiously taking notes in her notebook.

"Yes Dani, you do," she told me with a sigh, not looking up.

I looked at Elena, mouthing "help" and she nodded before speaking.

"I actually think this dress is pretty," she tried, just as Jenna looked up.

"No, that's not the dress," Jenna said. "I don't want to have my maid of honor looking like a hobo for my wedding and I'm not a crazy bride that wont let my bridesmaids look pretty." I groaned loudly before stepping into the changing room again. I quickly got out of the light pink dress I had tried on and changed into the blue one (that I had been forced to put on twelve times already!).

A lot had happened since last week... First of all, I hadn't seen Damon at all. Only time we'd seen each other was when he had come to pick up Ric for something that apparently wasn't for me to know. Mason and I have been talking since I agreed to give us another shot, but theese last couple of days he had been distant for some reason... I didn't want to pressure him into anything anyway and I figured it would be better to just give him some space. Maybe he would realize that our relationship wasn't going anywhere and just break up with me. It would make things a hell of a lot easier.

This week hadn't just been strange though since Jenna, Elena and I had managed to take care of most things for the wedding. Mrs. Lockwood had offered us her house for the reception and we had decided to have the wedding outside in the park. I had taken care of the arrangements and everything was set for next week. Earlier today we had posted the invitations and now the only "major" thing left, was my maid of honor dress. I must have tried on at least a hundred and now walked out with the blue one for the thirteenth time. I twirled in front of Jenna, but she shook her head. The shop owner and Elena looked at me sympathetically.

"Well," I said. "Since we can't decide anything yet, why don't we just go out for coffee or something and come back tomorrow?" Jenna thought about my suggestion for a while.

"We'll just waste time Dani," she stated. "Besides, this is the only thing left. The cake and every other arrangement has been made. My dress is arriving tomorrow and Elena's too."

"I still don't understand why I can't wear a dress like Elena's," I said and Jenna shrugged. Elena was wearing a knee-length purple dress, nothing too fancy but still pretty. We had bought it just a couple of days ago and I had actually been the one to find it. Jenna however thought it would be better if I wore something more sophisticated since I was slightly older and I played a bigger part in the wedding.

"Actually," the dress shop owner said, "I have a dress that is the same color and model, but floor length instead. Would you like to try it on?" she asked, looking at me.

"Why not," Jenna answered, looking at me. "It can't hurt anyone to try on one last dress."

"Except for my brain," I said, holding onto my head. "I'm expecting a drink later on for doing all of this, Jenna," I told her and she laughed.

"Sure Dani. Just try it on." I took the dress from the shop owner and walked into the changing room again. A couple of minutes later, I emerged wearing one of the prettiest dresses I had ever seen seen. It was just like the shop owned had described it; the same purple color like Elena's, with the same one shoulder model. The only difference was that this one was floor length and Elena's was knee-length. Jenna's mouth opened as if to say something, but then closed. All she could do was nod and smile brightly.

"It's lovely!" she exclaimed. I gave her a smile and spun around.

"I know!" I replied, just as excitedly. Elena beamed at us.

"Then it's settled," she said. "We have everything!" We nodded at the shop owner and she took care of the dress once I got out of it. She said she would send it over tomorrow along with Elena's dress and Jenna's gown. After paying for the dress, we stepped out of the shop.

"Let's go to the Grill and celebrate," I told Jenna and she nodded.

"I haven't had a reason to celebrate for so long. Let's do it," she agreed.

Elena smiled at us. "Well, I need to get to Stefan's and tell him that everything is set," she told us.

"Tell Stefan we said 'hi'," Jenna said and Elena nodded before walking off.

"Shall we?" I asked and Jenna nodded as we began walking towards the Grill.

* * *

Just as we ordered out second drinks, my phone began ringing. I picked it up after checking the caller-ID.

"Hello Mason," I answered.

"_Hi Dani,_" Mason said. "_Did everything go okay with the dress_?"

"Yes, it did," I told him. "It'll be delivered tomorrow along with the other dresses."

"_That's great,_" he said. "_I was just calling to check if everything went well. I can't wait for the wedding so I can see how it looks at you. I'm sure you'll look lovely._"

"Oh Mason, are you trying to woo me or something?" I laughed and he laughed on the other line as well.

"_Maybe_. _I'm just making sure that my date will be the prettiest woman in the room_," he told me and I smirked.

"You better watch your words or I'll tell Jenna what you just said..."

"_Fine, the second prettiest woman in the room._" I laughed at how nervous he sounded.

"Don't worry," I said, looking at Jenna who was on her third shot already, not paying attention to me. "I won't tell Jenna anything. I need to go now though. Or else Jenna will enjoy happy hour without me." He chuckled at me and said that he would call me later. As I hung up, Jenna turned to look at me.

"You know, I'm glad you gave him a second chance, but I can still see that you're miserable." I nearly choked on my shot since I was so taken aback by her bluntness.

"What are you saying?" I asked her and she shrugged.

"Since Damon and Mason came to see you last week, you've been trying way to hard to avoid Damon and to be nice to Mason. That means something happened between Damon and you, the only question is what..." She looked at me, as if expecting an answer.

"He kissed me," I told her and she smiled.

"That's what I thought," she told me, downing another shot.

"But then Mason came around and asked for another chance and then he kissed me too and I didn't tell him about Damon and now everything it so strange..." I said, finally letting my frustration out.

"We're not drunk enough to talk about this yet," Jenna said, ordering a beer for us.

"Agreed."

* * *

"I am so grateful for having a friend like you Danielle," Jenna said, holding her beer in the air. We had been drinking for at least half an hour now and Jenna might have a high alcohol tolerance, but she was getting tipsy. "You're probably my best-est friend ever! That's why I made you my maid of honor! You'll probably throw me a hell of a bridal shower!" I laughed as she took another sip from her bottle. "I still can't believe it's just a week left until the wedding..."

"Time flies by," I told her, sipping slowly on my drink. All this wedding hysteria had kept my mind occupied, but sometimes I couldn't help but think of William and the dangers that seemed to be just around the corner.

"Uh-oh," Jenna said, putting her bottle down. "Ex-boyfriend coming over." She nodded towards the exit and I turned to see Damon walking towards us. He was looking...just as good as usual. My throat seemed to close and my mouth went dry as he walked up to us.

"Can I have a minute with you- _alone_?" he said, looking at me and then at Jenna.

"This isn't strange at all," Jenna stated. "Although, I have to admit that I am beginning to get suspicious of you. " She pointed at Damon, who smirked at her, clearly amused.

"You're just beginning to get suspicious of me?" Damon asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, I've always had the strangest vibe around you," Jenna scoffed, "but I've also always been tipsy when you're around and at the moment I am half-drunk, so who knows if it's real suspicion or something alcohol-related?"

"I hardly think it's alcohol-related," I said, a small smile playing on my lips. "You have every right to be suspicious of Damon..." Damon glared at me with his icy eyes, but all I wanted to do was attach my lips to his. As if he had read my mind, he suddenly turned to look at me. There was something burning in his eyes...

"Can I talk to you, or not?" he asked again and I stared at him stupidly.

"Sure," I said, standing up.

"Don't be gone for too long or I'll have to come look for you!" Jenna called after us as we walked off.

When we finally stepped out of the Grill, we stared at each other for a while. It all felt too much like that night a week ago, when he had kissed me. Something unspoken was hanging in the air...

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't bring up the kiss again. I mean, he did tell me that he wouldn't be bothering me anymore... The only problem is that he has never bothered me...

"Ric actually sent me over," he told me as-a-matter-of-factly.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "He sent me over to invite you to his bachelor party, since he feels like you're also 'one of the guys'." I stared at him strangely.

"'One of the guys'?" I repeated and he nodded again.

"Yeah, so it's just going to be me, you, Stefan and the soon to be-"

"When and where?" I interrupted him.

"Nothing fancy really. We're driving to Atlanta and having beer and steak," he told me and I grinned at him.

"Sounds like fun," I told him. "Although, I don't know what Jenna will say about this."

"Ric has already told her. She agreed to it, surprisingly," he told me, surprising me once again. We looked at each other for a while. "All you have to do is agree."

"Why didn't Ric ask me himself?" I asked.

"I told you, he sent me-"

"Cut the crap Damon. Why didn't he ask me himself?" I pressed and he pressed his lips together into a tight line, glaring daggers at me.

"Fine," he said. "I wanted to talk to you, because once again, I can't seem to stay away from you." I bit my lip.

"You can't keep doing this Damon..." I told him.

"Well, if you stopped pushing me away..." We stood in silence for a while.

"So it's just the four of us?" I asked and he nodded. "And no strippers?" I asked, a grin once again covering my face.

"None that Ric knows of," he told me, mirroring my grin.

"Hmm... When?" I asked.

"Two days before the wedding. We planned it that way so that you'd be able to come along. Jenna's bachelorette party is three days before the wedding right? That gives you one day to rest before the wedding," he told me. I grinned even wider at him.

"If I didn't know better Damon, I would think you're kind of excited about this wedding," I told him and he smirked.

"Excited that I'm loosing my wing man? Hardly," he answered. "However, I am a sucker for parties and I hope the after party, when the newly weds leave for their honeymoon will be wild with bridesmaids and heartbroken, single women."

"You do know what Elena and I are the only bridesmaids, don't you?" I asked and he nodded.

"And I'm counting on my brother to keep Elena busy, while I deal with _you_," he said, putting his hands on my hips and pulling me closer to him.

"You do know that Mason is my date, right?" He rolled his eyes at me.

"Well, then we'll just have to make the most out of the night in Atlanta then, wont we?" His tone was suggesting and I couldn't help but grin. I had missed this Damon...

"We'll see," I winked. "And you can tell Ric that I'll be there. For _him_," I said after seeing his smug look.

"I can hardly contain myself," he told me, his tone serious, but yet playful.

"This goes against everything I told you last week," I told him. "I shouldn't come with you, but I just can't seem to let you guys have fun without me."

"Like I said Dani," he began, "I can't _wait_." I shot him one last smile and walked away, back to Jenna. All I wanted to do, was run back to him and kiss him senseless, but at the moment, it felt like I would never be able to do that again...

At least not until I killed William.

* * *

**A/N: Well? What did you think? I know it wasn't as good as the other chapters, but I promise, there will be lots and lots of Damonelle moments in the next chapter! I mean, road trip to Atlanta and a night away from Mystic Falls, Mason and everyone else... Except, that they are with Stefan and Ric too, but maybe I'll make them disappear or something... hahaha! Just kidding!** =D

_**I've been very busy lately, looking for a prom dress (which I found and it's PERFECT!)... but from now on, I promise that I'll write a little every day so you'll get a chapter att least once every other week!**_

_**I hope you liked the crappy chapter though, at least enough to review... Thank you for reading though!**_

_**Lots of love!**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Spicy**_


	36. Chapter 36

_**A/N: Hey peeps!**_

_**I know it's been ages since i updated this fic, so I won't be long.**_

_**I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far and I just want to tell you that there isn't much left of this fic! This is chapter 36, so I'm counting on maybe four more chapters and an epilogue or three chaps and an epilogue.**_

_**Just wanted you to know that, now please enjoy!**_

* * *

"So you really don't mind me going then?" I asked again and Mason smiled at me.

"Of course not," he told me. "You're going on a road trip to Atlanta with your ex-boyfriend, why would I mind?" I laughed and punched him playfully on the arm.

"No, I'm going to Atlanta with my _friends_," I told him. "Damon knows where we stand and he isn't going to be a problem," I said.

"Don't count on that," Damon said smugly behind me as he picked up my backpack and threw it in his trunk.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You always know how to spoil a moment Damon," I said to him and he leaned against his car.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, putting his hand over his heart. "Did I ruin your little good bye moment?" he asked innocently.

"Be nice Damon," Stefan said as he walked up to us with Elena next to him. "You might make Dani regret that she ever agreed to come on our little trip."

Mason looked at me and pouted. "I just don't understand why you switched the dates on the bachelor/bachelorette parties," he said and I smiled at him.

"You know there were some kinks with the dresses and Elena offered to take care of it. Besides, I would probably look awful if I got home from a 24-hour road trip the day of the wedding," I said and Damon snorted.

"You forget that I've seen you early in the morning after an all-nighter of alcohol and fun," he said shamelessly. "Believe me when I tell you that you look even better than you do sober."

I shot him a glare and turned to Mason, who had narrowed his eyes at him. "Mason," I said to catch his attention. He turned to face me again, worry clearly written on his face. "Don't worry about it," I told him calmly. "I'll be back early tomorrow morning. I'll behave," I said and kissed his cheek softly. He smiled at me, even though the concern was still obviously there.

"If the two of you are finished, let's go," Damon said, rolling his eyes us. "We have a strict schedule to keep."

"Just don't let Ric near any strippers, please," Jenna said walking out of the house. She walked over to Ric and pressed a kiss against his lips. "Don't forget who's waiting for you at home," she whispered, but since pretty much every last one of us was supernatural, we heard them.

"My beautiful bride to be," he whispered back and kissed her again. I rolled my eyes at them for being so cheesy, but hey- what did I know of true love?

"Okay, sorry to ruin the moment," Damon once again interrupted, "but we really _do _have a strict schedule. If it was my choice, we would have partied for at least a week, but since we don't want to postpone the wedding any longer, we really need to get going it we're to do all the things I have planned for us," he said and wiggled his eyebrows at us.

"Your choice in best man is impeccable," Jenna said sarcastically and Ric let out a laugh.

"Well, I lost the fight about Danielle so..." he said and trailed off while I let out a laugh.

"How does it feel to be second choice Damon?" I asked him playfully and he grinned at me.

"I don't know," he answered. "Last time I checked, you made me your first choice." Mason froze by my side and I shot Damon a glare. Of course he would turn this into a conversation about the two of us.

"That's in the past," I told him sternly. "Let's go," I said, hoping to get away from the sensitive subject. I turned to face Mason again and gave him yet another kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow," I promised and he nodded, still not taking his eyes off of Damon, who was still smirking smugly at us.

Elena walked over to Stefan and embraced him, Jenna and Ric shared yet another kiss and Damon walked over to the driver's side. "Dani calls shot gun!" he said, opening his door.

"No I don't!" I protested.

"Yes, you do. Ric will probably sleep all the way to Atlanta and Stefan will be reading. I want someone to talk to," he told me before he got into the car. I rolled my eyes yet again.

"Fine," I said, before finally walking over to his car and getting inside.

After Ric and Stefan got into the car, we waved good bye to our loved ones and finally started driving towards Atlanta.

-Damonelle-

"I can't believe you were actually right about the two of them," I said, looking back at Ric, who was asleep and Stefan, who was so into reading his book that he probably didn't even hear me.

Damon smirked at me. "I know my friends," he told me and I grinned at him.

"You have friends?" I mocked and he rolled his eyes at me. I turned back to face the road in front of us again. "If you get tired I can drive," I told him and he shook his head.

"No one is allowed to drive my car except for me," he said. "Besides, we're vampires, we don't get tired."

"I know," I told him. "That was why I offered." I looked around for a moment. "When do we get there? It feels as if we have been driving for hours."

"Soon enough," he told me. "Then we can _really _let go," he said seductively, reaching over and touching my exposed thigh. I slapped his hand away.

"Really, Damon? Are you really going there?" I asked and he shrugged.

"What happens in Atlanta, stays in Atlanta Dani," he said and I rolled my eyes yet again before looking at the road ahead of us again.

I had a feeling this was going to be a long, long night.

-Damonelle-

We stopped by a small diner on the way because Alaric got hungry. The four of us settled in a corner booth. Just as Stefan was about to sit down next to me, Damon blurred forward and sat down instead.

"Stop doing that," I hissed under my breath. "Someone could have seen you!" I scolded him.

"I like living dangerously," he whispered back. One of his hands brushed against my thigh again.

"Get any closer and I'll break off your fingers," I growled at him. "I like living dangerously as well."

Stefan, who seemed to understand what Damon was doing, glared at him and shook his head. Alaric, though, seemed absolutely clueless. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he was so hungry?

We ordered four burgers with fries and ate them slowly, joking about what we would do when we got to Atlanta.

"I have everything planned out perfectly," Damon smirked. "It's not every day one of us gets married," he stated. "Even though I am completely opposed to it, I know that it's my duty as the best man to make this a night to remember."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Of course it is, Damon," I said. "However, don't forget that you weren't Alaric's first choice," I joked.

Alaric and Stefan snickered at Damon's expression.

"Still," Damon continued, completely ignoring me, "he won't regret picking me after tonight." I decided not to argue with him on this one. I was actually glad that we were moving past the awkward stage of our relationship. I just wished that this whole thing with William would just blow over so that I could finally tell Damon how I really feel about him.

Last night, when I went to bed to rest for this trip today, I came to a couple of conclusions. First of all, no matter how hard I tried to stay away from my friends here in Mystic Falls, something always drew me back to them. Secondly, my feelings for Damon were still there, and they certainly weren't going away. Finally, if I knew William well, he wouldn't wait much longer to make his move.

These last couple of weeks I had been walking on eggshells. I knew I didn't want to run anymore. If he really wanted to kill me, he would have by now. I just wished that I could get everything over with, so I could either die, or move on, not having to look around every corner, afraid to be captured.

"Where will we be going when we get to Atlanta?" Alaric asked Damon. "Where are we staying tonight? What do you have planned?" I almost laughed at his expression. He was looking half excited and half terrified. It seemed almost as if he had just realized where he was going, and with _who _he was going.

"Don't worry about it Ric," I told him. "I'm sure Damon is planning on getting us all into trouble somehow, but remember that you have two other vampires with you to keep you safe," I winked, taking a sip from the scotch I had ordered.

"Hmm... Dani, you're already starting up with the drinking," Damon pointed out.

"You know I'm not a light-weight," I shrugged.

"Oh, I know," Damon said, looking at me intently for a moment before turning back to the others. "Are you done eating yet? Dani will be on her third glass soon if we don't get out of here."

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. He was right.

"Yeah, yeah," Stefan nodded. "I wasn't hungry anyway. I went hunting last night, so I'm clear for the time we'll be spending in Atlanta."

"How many bunnies did you manage to catch?" I asked him, making Damon laugh. "Oh God, I wasn't making fun of you Stefan, I was genuinely wondering so that we won't have to worry about you going all rabid on us! I mean, bunnies aren't even that big!" Once again, Damon laughed and Alaric snickered too this time.

Stefan looked at me, his lips curling up in a small smile. "It's okay Dani," he said. "I get it. And actually, I fed from a deer or two...and a bunny or three."

I let out a small breath. "That's good."

"Let's get out of here then," Alaric said, getting up from his chair. "I'll just head to the bathroom and then we'll leave." He walked off, Stefan following him while Damon and I stayed behind.

"How the hell do you get away with mocking Stefan, while I always get told off for doing so?" Damon asked me.

"I wasn't mocking him," I told him honestly. "It just came out that way."

"Whatever you say, Dani," Damon said, leaning closer to my ear. "I know the truth though," he whispered.

I shook him off. "Whatever, Damon," I said, looking around the diner, crossing my arms over my chest.

There were a few others there too. An older man, maybe in his late sixties, together with whom I assumed to be his wife and grandchild. Across from Damon and me, a younger couple sat in a corner booth, the man obviously whispering sweet nothings in the woman's ear. On the other side of the diner, a young man sat, all by himself, furiously texting someone... I frowned.

Something definitively didn't feel right.

"Maybe we should leave now," I suggested. "We can wait for Ric and Stefan in the car instead. This place gives me the creeps," I shuddered.

Damon let out a low chuckle. "You were fine a minute ago," he said and I simply shrugged.

"Maybe I just want to get to Atlanta so that we can _finally _relax and have some fun?"

"Oh we'll have fun," Damon smirked as he followed me outside. "What happens in Atlanta, _stays_ in Atlanta."

-Damonelle-

We arrived to the city just an hour later, and I was relieved to finally get out of the car. Damon and Alaric had spent most of that hour arguing about the perks and disadvantages of marriage, while Stefan and I had been accused of being saps for actually thinking the tradition of marriage is romantic. When I had expressed my thought on the topic, Damon had looked at me skeptically, saying that being married is overrated. After that, I just decided that it was better to shut up and not get involved in the conversation, which sooner or later would turn into a conversation about me and Mason, at least if Damon had a say in the matter.

"So Atlanta, huh?" I said, stepping out of the car after Damon parked it outside of a small motel. I furrowed my eyebrows and sighed. "We should have gone to Atlantic City..." I muttered, already bored.

"Look, Dani," Damon said. "If you're just gonna be negative all the time, you might as well shut up right now. I don't exactly think you know this place as I do..." he smirked at me when I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Oh really? This place has _nothing_," I argued. "We're staying at this crap of a motel instead of a five-star hotel in Atlantic City. I swear I would have been better at planning Ric's bachelor party!"

"Dani," Damon said again, looking at me strangely. "Shut up."

"Fine," I snapped, turning away from him while Stefan and Alaric looked at us amused.

"Well Damon?" Alaric said, deciding that it was better to step in. "Where are we going?"

Damon smirked again. "Follow me," he said as he walked into the motel.

A couple of minutes later, we had gotten ourselves three rooms, one for me, one for Damon (who was apparently hoping to get lucky) and one for Stefan and Ric to share, since they were both in committed relationships, which technically, I was too, I realized.

"It's just for one night," I muttered to myself as I walked into the small room. There was only a queen-sized bed, a small drawer, an even smaller fridge and a mirror in it. At least it was better than the places William used to torture me in...

"Hey Dani, why don't you change instead of complaining all the time?" Damon suggested as he walked into my room and laid down on the bed, throwing one arm over his face so that his eyes were covered.

"I will once you get out of here," I told him, throwing a pillow at him.

"I swear I won't look," he said. "And even if I did, I've seen it all before, haven't I?" he chuckled, throwing the pillow back at me.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips. "I guess, but I still don't think my _boyfriend_ would like the idea of you creeping over me while I change."

"Well, I was your boyfriend first, so he just has to deal with it," Damon said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. I turned around, and the next thing I knew, he was standing in front of me. "Am I wrong?" he asked, his voice low.

For a second, my eyes traveled down to his lips, which looked very inviting...

"Damon, please don't make this any harder than it already is," I said, pushing him away from me.

"It doesn't have to be hard, Dani," Damon argued. "We can finally let go! No one knows us here anyway, so it wouldn't be a big thing if we hooked up anyway!"

"_Hooked up_?" I snapped. "You seem to be forgetting the fact that your brother and your best friend is here with us as well."

"So you're saying that if they weren't, we wouldn't even be arguing over this? We would already be all over each other, because that is what we _both _want-"

"Don't tell me what _I _want!" I yelled at him, blurring forward, grabbing his throat with my hand, pushing him up against the wall. "I _know_ what I want," I snarled. "I want peace and quiet, something I will never have as long as William is out there. _Stop _telling me what I should and shouldn't do, because the only person I can trust is _me_."

"Dani, l-let g-go," Damon managed to get out. "You're choking me."

It took a second for me to realize what he had said. When it registered, I put him down again. "Sorry," I muttered. "Got carried away."

"Yeah, sometimes I tend to forget that you're 100 years older than me. Your strength is quite the turn on actually," he told me before walking toward the door again. "I'll go check if the others are ready. You should change, get ready for the club," he said and finally stepped out of the room.

I decided that it was better to ignore his comment about my strength being a turn on. I figured, it was even better not to tell him that I thought everything about _him _was a turn on.

-Damonelle-

The music was so loud that I actually winced as we stepped into the club. I was wearing a short, black and white tube dress that fit me tightly, a pair of black strappy high heels and my hair was curled and loose around my shoulders. I had decided to do my make-up a little more dramatic than usual, and went with black smokey eyes and red lipstick. Damon had just given me a look, which said more than that mouth of his would ever be able to say, and I felt a knot tie in my stomach, wondering how life could be so unfair sometimes.

"I've never been here before," I yelled over the music, and Damon smirked. He was wearing a black T-shirt, a pair of dark jeans and his usual black boots. It was very casual compared to me, but it fit him so well that I don't think anyone would have noticed that he was underdressed. Around us, people were grinding against each other in the rhythm of the music, and I kind of had to look away, when it looked like a couple were getting too hot and heavy on the dance floor. "What is this place?" I asked him and he laughed.

"This is _Club Black_," he yelled over the music. "Most people don't even know it exists, but the few times I've been in Atlanta, this has been the highlight of my visit!"

"So this is your grand plan?" Stefan asked. "Clubbing?"

"Well what else is there?" Damon asked. "I've been looking forward to watching you squirm every time a human gets too close to you and you feel their blood pumping through their veins! Also, the look on Ric's face is _priceless,_" Damon pointed out. I looked at Ric, who looked rather uncomfortable when a young woman, dressed in only a leather bra and leather skirt walked up to him.

"Is that-"

"A stripper? Indeed it is, Danielle," Damon grinned. "Hey Sarah!" he called and the woman turned around, grinning when she saw Damon.

"Damon?" she walked up to him and embraced him tightly. I felt something inside of me boil, as I imagined severing the girl's head from her shoulders. "You're back! And you brought _friends_ with you?" she asked, looking at the three of us. "Are they on your special diet too?" she asked, and I looked at Damon.

"She _knows_?" I asked and he nodded.

"Sarah here has been donating blood, along with some of the other ladies here. At least to me," he winked as the girl- Sarah- giggled.

"Well you just tell me if you need anything, Sugar," she winked before walking away.

Stefan and Alaric looked at each other awkwardly before looking at me and Damon. I could tell that they were expecting a reaction from me, but I wouldn't succumb that easy.

"Why don't you boys go and enjoy yourselves?" I asked. "I know that I will," I said, turning around and walking straight out on the dance floor. It didn't take long until a couple of guys started dancing next to me. I glanced in the direction of the others. Stefan and Alaric seemed amused, while Damon was scowling. Laughing to myself, I turned back to the three young men that were dancing with me. It didn't take long however, to feel a grip on my wrist.

"Danielle," Damon said harshly. "We're all going to the bar to have a couple of drinks with Ric. It _is_ his bachelor party after all."

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Damon," I laughed as I brushed past him and walked back to Stefan and Alaric.

"Come on," I said. "First drink is on me." We walked over to the bar, where I compelled the bartender and ordered some shots.

"Does it really count as you buying the first drink, when you actually compel the bartender?" Alaric asked.

I let out a laugh. "Hell yeah, it counts!" I said. "Now drink up!" I said, raising my shot to my lips, downing it.

"Okay," Alaric said, downing his drink as well.

Damon looked over at me and smirked as our eyes met. "Well tonight is certainly going to be interesting."

-Damonelle-

I don't remember fully how it escalated so quickly, but the next thing I knew, I was dared by someone to take a body shot from them. I grinned, laughing loudly as I embraced Alaric after succeeding.

"Did you see that?" I exclaimed happily. The night was actually becoming a success, which I hadn't expected at all considering it was Damon who had planned it. It turned out that _Club Black_ was "half-a-strip club", which meant that they didn't start stripping until after midnight. I was actually surprised when Damon didn't even as much as flinch when the strippers came up on the stage. Most of the girls that had been at the club left and soon the place was overflowing with testosterone.

"I never expected you to know how to take body shots like that!" Alaric said as he laughed. It was clear that the alcohol had started to affect him.

"Yeah Dani," Stefan said, grinning at Damon. "Have you been practicing a lot over the years?"

"Actually, yes. I worked as a bartender during the 80's too and some of the nights got pretty wild," I admitted.

"You worked as a bartender and took body shots off of strangers?" Damon asked skeptically.

"Not _always. _Sometimes they took body shots from me," I grinned. Damon's mood changed instantly.

"Then how about I take one from you now, huh?" he suggested boldly. Or, I guess it wasn't exactly boldly since we had done so much more together already.

"Oh, Damon, I don't think you want to go there!" Alaric laughed. How drunk was he?

"I mean, it shouldn't mean anything, should it?" Damon pressed. "If she didn't get fired while working as a bartender because of it, I hardly think they'll throw her out of the club for doing it now."

I raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile tugging at my lips as I saw his own smirk widen. "You know what, Damon?" I said, jumping up on the bar counter, lying down. "Why don't you go ahead?" I motioned to my body. "Only problem is my dress though. I'm not ready to remove it, so you'll just have to work your way around it."

Damon smirked at me, leaning closer to my ear. "I think I'll manage."

If I had been human, I might have cracked right there, but since I'm not, I held his gaze as he moved away, my face perfectly neutral.

It didn't take long for Damon to figure out how to go about it. Salt covered my collarbone, a shot glass was placed in my cleavage and a piece of lime was in my mouth before I could even comprehend what I was doing. I was still lying on top of the bar. The bartender and some dancers were watching us amusedly as Damon grinned and winked at me before descending on my skin. First, he licked away the salt, so slow that it felt like torture. I tried to keep my face neutral, but memories of our nights together flashed before my eyes before I could even stop myself.

Next, he leaned down above my cleavage and took the shot, without even spilling a drop. One of his hands was on my thigh, while the other trailed a pattern across my arm.

Finally, he moved over to my mouth, where he took the lime from me, but not before pressing his lips hard against mine. When he pulled away, the lime was in his mouth, and I was breathing hard, harder than I would ever have thought I would. The effect he had on me had always surprised me, but this was just too much. The tension was so thick that one cut actually have cut it with a kitchen knife if they had wanted to.

I wanted to kiss him again.

It had felt as if a hundred years had passed while he took the body shot, however, it had probably just been a few seconds. The way his lips had ghosted over my skin had nearly made me lose my mind. It had messed me up in such a way that I had overanalyzed every single move he had made.

Damon grinned at me while the dancers around us applauded before helping me up in a sitting position. I tried not to think about how my lips pretty much ached to be pressed against his again, and grinned back at him.

"You wanna dance?" Damon whispered in my ear, holding me closer than necessary.

I nodded.

-Damonelle-

I wasn't exactly surprised by the way we danced. What surprised me wasn't even that I leaned in and brushed my lips against his cheek. The thing that surprised me was the look he gave me afterward, and how he suddenly leaned forward to press his lips against mine. Our moment was interrupted though, by Alaric and Stefan who had decided that they couldn't have us kissing considering the way things were at the moment.

I had pulled away from Damon and told him that I needed some air, heading out through the back door and into the dark alley.

I leaned my back against the wall and looked forward, taking a breath. What was I thinking? My plan to handle things would never even work, and I would probably die in the process of trying to make it work. The fact that I was using Mason made me sick to my stomach and I wondered if it would have been easier to just shut off my emotions completely.

Shutting off my humanity wouldn't make the situation any easier though, and I knew that. The day I decided I would turn it back on, I would be exhumed by guilt and would probably end up staking myself...

The back door opened again, only to reveal a girl in her mid-twenties.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know anyone would be back here," she said looking at me strangely. "What exactly _are _you doing back here? This exit is only for personnel."

I turned around and sped up to her. She let out a gasp as I looked her in the eyes and compelled.

"I'm allowed to be back here because your boss told me to wait for him here," I said, staring at her intently.

Something wasn't right. The girl slowly smiled at me.

"He told me you might try to do that," she giggled. Suddenly, her fangs broke out through her gums and she snarled at me. Catching me off guard, she threw me away from herself and into the opposite wall. I felt my head crack as it connected with the wall, and soon felt something warm run down my neck. I reached back and wiped away a little blood, but felt the wound heal almost instantly. I stood up quickly and looked at the girl.

"Who are you?" I asked her as we slowly began circling each other.

"A messenger," she replied, a grin still on her lips, but her eyes seemed to travel to my blood drenched fingers for a moment.

"You're a newbie, aren't you?" I asked. "Who turned you?"

Her smile faltered for only a second. "I think you already know," she whispered.

I ran forward, pinning her to the wall, already snarling at her.

"William." It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway.

"Danielle!" I snapped my head in the direction of the new voice. Damon, Stefan and Alaric were staring at me. To them, it must have looked like I was pinning an innocent girl to the wall in a dark alley.

"You told me you're a messenger," I snarled at her, ignoring the others. "What's the message?"

The girl grinned again. "He told me to ask you who you're taking to the wedding. Mr. Vampire over there or Surfer boy?"

"Where is he?" I snapped, tightening my grip around her throat, lifting her higher against the wall. The other three seemed to have understood that she was a vampire.

"He says you'll see each other soon enough," the girl grunted. "Do you want me to send back your love to him?" she mocked.

I saw red. Instantly, my hand went through her chest, grabbing her heart. She let out a gasp.

"There's no message like killing the messenger," I snarled, pulling out her heart and letting her drop to the ground. I turned around to look at the others. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible," I told them. "If William turned her, there's only a matter of time before other vampires start popping up."

As soon as I had spoken the words, I heard footsteps coming closer to us. I saw the other three tense as they looked at something- some_one_- behind me. I turned around, immediately grabbing the young man by his neck. I recognized him... He was the same man I had seen at the diner! I broke his neck and threw him away from myself, not even asking questions anymore.

"Let's go," Damon said after a moment, blurring to my side, grabbing my hand as he led me out of the alley.

Stefan and Alaric followed us quickly, back to the apartment where we grabbed our things and got to the car.

"You do know that snapping a vampire's neck doesn't have a permanent effect?" Damon asked me as I sat down next to him.

"I know, but it'll buy us some time at least," I told him. "I don't enjoy killing people, Damon. Especially not newly turned vampires who probably hadn't done anything wrong to begin with."

"Dani," Damon sighed, turning to face me in the car. Alaric and Stefan still hadn't come down. "I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If it comes down to you and someone else... Do what it takes to get out of there," he said, looking away from me. What he meant to say was that if it ever came down to me and him, I should leave him behind and run.

I didn't have time to answer him as Stefan and Alaric ran into the car.

"We were attacked by a vampire upstairs," Stefan panted. "Alaric shot him with his stake gun."

"Sobered up, huh, Ric?" I laughed as Damon stepped on the gas pedal.

"You have no idea," Alaric grunted.

-Damonelle-

We had just driven out of town, but the uneasy feeling still didn't leave my gut.

"This was way too easy," I mumbled, mostly to myself but I knew the others had heard me.

"Try to stay positive," Stefan told me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Damon drives like a lunatic and we'll be in Mystic Falls before they can catch up to us."

"Yeah, but what if they follow us to Mystic Falls, Stefan?" I asked. "What if we've just put everyone we love and care about in danger?"

The others stayed quiet. A couple of minutes passed before Alaric spoke up.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing ahead of us. There were three cars standing in the middle of the road, blocking our way. In front of them stood about twenty vampires, waiting.

"Damon, stop the car," I told him. "We're going to need a stake gun or two..."

"How did they know which way we would choose?" Damon asked as he stopped driving.

"Because we should have known that William would expect us to take some small road out of town to pass by undetected. It's backfired on us and now there's only one thing we can do," I told him as we stepped out of the car. Alaric hurried to the back and pulled out weapons.

"I'm glad you brought those with you," I told him as I grabbed a stake. I looked to the vampires who were slowly walking towards us now.

"I've got your back, Ric," Stefan said and Damon nodded at him. He looked at me as if to tell me that he had my back, but then he blurred forward to one of the vampires, grabbed him and pulled out his heart, dropping it to the ground.

"Come on then," he told the other vampires who stood frozen, looking at their fallen friend. A girl snarled and pounced at Damon, but before she could even get close enough, she fell to the ground, already withering with a stake through her heart. I turned and looked at Alaric, who loaded his gun again.

"You're certainly not drunk anymore," I said before blurring forward. Three vampires jumped at me in an instant, while four jumped Damon. Stefan and Alaric were shooting from a distance first, but they didn't dare risking hitting me and Damon, so slowly they moved closer as well.

I grabbed a girl's hair and pulled her off me before kicking a young man in the groin. I turned around and punched an older man in the face, feeling his nose break. He snarled and staggered back before I finally stepped forward, staking him in the heart. I pulled the stake out and swirled around; throwing it at a vampire that had Damon in a headlock. He yelled out and fell to the ground, already ashen.

"Dani, look out!" Damon called. On instinct, I turned and put my hand through the young man's chest, ripping his heart out in the process. I let go of it and pulled my hand out of him before returning to the other vampires.

It was a massacre really. One by one, the newly turned vampires fell. Damon and I worked together while Stefan and Alaric had their own thing going on. As I caught the last vampire, I held him by the throat.

"Do it," he challenged me. "I'm dead anyway."

"Where is William?" I asked him. "Tell me and I'll let you live."  
"It doesn't matter," the man said. "He told us he would kill us even if we survived, which he didn't think we would." He swallowed thickly. "Please kill me."

My heart ached for the man, but I still plunged the stake through his heart. I let go of him, my breath shaky and my hands trembling as I looked at all the bodies around us. Stefan and Alaric were already piling them up so that we could set them on fire.

My dress was completely covered in blood, as were my hands and my hair. I walked over to the side of the road and sat down, burying my head in my hands, trying to ignore the blood that smeared all over my face. I tensed as I felt a hand on my shoulder, but looked up only to see Damon looking down at me. He sat down next to me, and I almost expected him so say something.

However, he didn't. Instead, he took my hand in his and squeezed it tightly.

I squeezed back, and this time, I didn't pull away.

-Damonelle-

We pulled up by Elena's house early the next morning. We had stopped at another motel and gotten rid of our clothes and washed up; so that no one would suspect that anything had gone down in Atlanta. Of course, when we had walked into the motel, the personnel had looked at us as if we had come out of a horror movie. I had compelled them because it was much easier that way.

Jenna opened the door and grinned at me as I pulled my duffel bag along with me.

"Hey!" Jenna said, embracing me.

"Hi," I said, smiling back at her.

"So? How was it? Did you get Ric to dance?" Jenna laughed as I walked inside.

"Nope, Ric didn't do any dancing," I said as my mind for a second flashed to when he had held a teenage vampire girl back by the shoulders before Stefan had managed to shoot her.

"But how was it? You have to tell me everything!" Jenna insisted.

I thought of the burning pile of vampires for a moment as I sat down on the couch. "It was probably the most boring night of my life," I lied to her, not wanting her to know the truth. "I swear, Damon really doesn't know how to throw a party."

* * *

_**A/N: So? What did you think? If you liked it, please review! If you didn't...well, review anyway! Tell me what you thought and which part was your favorite!**_

_**Lots of love,**_

_**Spicy**_

_**P.S. I will write more on this story and MTB as soon as possible! I just have a lot of exams going on right now!**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**A/N: Oh God, guys! I'm so sorry for not updating this story in AGES! I can't believe I completely forgot about it! :O I've been so busy with Meant To Be that I totally forgot about this! I guess it might have to do with the fact that I've planned the last chapters and the epilogue and that i just figured I could write it whenever and post it, but that's still no excuse. I am so very sorry!**_

_**I know this chapter isn't very long, but these last chapters probably won't be. After this, there are two more chapters and then an epilogue! I'll try to write them out as soon as possible and then I'll post them! I PROMISE this time! I've just been really busy with school and Meant To Be and my other Arrow fic that I sort of put this on the side line... Once again: sorry.**_

_**I do hope you'll enjoy this chapter, even though it's a little short!**_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing! Just Danielle and William and any other OC that you read about!_

* * *

**Chapter 37: The Wedding**

I sat on the chair in front of the mirror, curling my hair a little with a curling iron. I couldn't believe the day was finally here; the day Jenna and Alaric would get married.

I had taken care of the last arrangements with the ceremony, which would be held in the garden of Founder's Hall, thanks to Mrs. Lockwood who had been so kind to help "Mason's _lovely_ girlfriend" out. The reception would later be held inside, since the ground was now mostly covered by snow and we didn't want the guests to freeze to death.

Curling the last pieces of my hair, I leaned back in the chair, examining myself in the mirror. It had been a long night of tossing and turning in bed, mostly because of what had happened at Jenna's bachelorette party the night before.

Damon had showed up unannounced and half-drunk, demanding to speak to me. I didn't want to make a scene and followed him outside, where he confronted me about my plan for William. He refused to let the matter go, and demanded I tell him that I wasn't just planning on sitting around and waiting for William to hunt me down again. I told him not to worry, and he had asked me how he couldn't, considering that I was too _nice_ to use my new boy toy as a pawn.

Damon was probably one of those people who understood me better than most. He knew that I wouldn't use Mason in the end. He knew that whatever my plan was, it might have involved Mason first, but that I had grown some kind of feelings for him by now, and that I wouldn't use him and more than I would use Damon. In defense, I had snapped at him and told him to back off and stay out of it.

Thinking back at it, I might have been a little hard at him. However, he had done as I said and left me at the party, not really in the mood to have fun anymore, which had later caused me to loose a night of sleep that I had desperately needed. The main thing though, was that Jenna had enjoyed herself at the party and that I had actually managed to keep all her other friends happy and drunk enough so that they wouldn't notice my sad face.

"Hey Dani," Elena said, stepping into the room. "You okay?" she asked, seeing my face.

"Yeah," I breathed out. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just look kind of lost, I guess..." Elena said, walking up to me. Her make up was already done, and her hair was curled even if it hadn't really been put up yet. "You know, I think it was a good thing that you planned that spa-thing we had this morning. It relaxed both Jenna and me a lot."

"It was my pleasure, really," I said, earning a look from her. "What?"

"Is something wrong Danielle?" Elena pressed. "I can tell that you aren't being your usual self."

"What? The raging, hot vampire-chick with a psychotic sociopath with a thing for torture as an ex?" I asked, attempting a lame joke.

"Is this about him? The psychotic sociopath?" Elena asked silently and I sighed.

"I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong," I admitted. "He's known where I am for months now and it makes no sense for him to not have made his move yet... It doesn't fit his usual pattern."

"Maybe he's changing the pattern to throw you off?" Elena suggested.

"Maybe."

Elena stayed silent for a while before putting her hand on my shoulder. "Look," she said. "I know it's hard. I understand that he's put you through a lot of crap these last 250-something years," she paused for a moment, thinking her speech through. "The thing is, that you're _finally_ happy. You can't keep pushing us all away because of your fear of what he might do to us."

"Elena... You don't understand," I tried, but she stopped me from talking.

"You've been happy here with us Danielle, and don't you even try to deny it! I've seen the way this whole wedding thing is making you feel human again- _happy _again. I've noticed how you've bonded with both Damon and Stefan and I'd like to think that the two of us have bonded as sisters as well. I consider you a part of my family now, and I don't want you to isolate yourself and beat yourself up about a hunch that might not even be anything."

I took her words into consideration. "Family, huh?" She nodded, smiling slightly. "You've got one messed up family, Elena," I told her. Her smile faded slightly. "But I'm glad I'm a part of it."

Instantly, her smile was back and she leaned down to embrace me. I patted her back and pulled back from her. "Can you please help me put up my hair now?" I asked her.

"Only if you help me later," she winked and I laughed.

"And then we'll both help Jenna out," I said.

"Together," Elena smiled.

I smiled back, agreeing, "Together."

-Damonelle-

"I'm going to throw up," Jenna said, sitting in her chair as Elena handed me the curling iron again. "Like, really. I want to run out of here and never come back."

I tried not to laugh. "It's just a little cold feet, Jenna," I told her. "It'll pass the second you see Ric." Putting up the finishing touches on Jenna's hair, I turned to grin at Elena. "What do you think, Elena? Did I do good?"

Jenna looked up at Elena expectantly. Elena and I had set up strict rules for everyone to keep Jenna away from mirrors, so that we could reveal the final look when it was all done.

"You look really pretty, Jenna," Elena said reassuringly.

"Pretty?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Jenna, you look absolutely fabulous! I wouldn't blame Ric if he just picks you up and runs away with you before the ceremony even starts!"

Jenna laughed nervously. "Really? You're not just saying this to make me feel better, are you?"

"Definitively not," I smiled. "Now close your eyes and walk with us so that we can help you put on your dress-" There was a knock on the door that interrupted me. The three of us looked at each other. "Who could that be?"

Elena rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, opening it a bit to check who it was. "Dani, it's for you," she said finally. She opened the door, only to reveal Mason standing there.

"Mason," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to check on you guys and to see if I could speak to you for a moment," he said, motioning for me to come with him.

I turned to Jenna who nodded. "We'll wait for you," she said. "I don't think Elena can help me with the dress alone and no offense Mason, but I don't want Mrs. Lockwood to help either because quite frankly, she annoys me a bit."

Mason smiled widely at her. "None taken, Jen," he said. "By the way you look really beautiful," he told her before turning to me. "Dani?"

"Fine," I sighed. "But it better be important because we need to be ready in less than an hour and I haven't even put my dress on yet," I lectured following him outside.

We walked down the hallway, past the room where Alaric was currently preparing with Stefan and Damon. The door was slightly opened and I heard Damon muttering something about his tie to Alaric, but I just kept walking quickly so that he wouldn't accidentally step out at the moment we passed them. I pulled Mason inside in an empty room and turned with my arms crossed.

"Well?" I asked and he looked at me curiously.

"You're looking really defensive, Dani," Mason pointed out and I let my arms drop to my sides.

"Sorry, I'm just nervous," I admitted.

"You're a 200-plus year old vampire and you're telling me you're nervous for a wedding?" he asked skeptically and I shrugged.

"A lot of things can go wrong," I said.

Mason smiled and stepped up to me, hugging me tightly. "Not to be a pessimist, but that was exactly what I came to talk to you about," he admitted, pulling away. "Tonight's a full moon," he stated.

"I am very aware of that," I nodded.

"Which as you know, means that I won't be able to stay here all night," Mason continued.

"You'll just need to leave early, right? The ceremony is in like an hour anyway and then you'll be able to be at the reception for a short while," I said. "After that you can sneak out and I'll cover by telling them you got really drunk and that I need to drive you home," I suggested.

"No Dani, they'll just ask why Tyler didn't drive me home and I don't want to complicate things," he said. "I'll simply slip out and people probably won't even notice. If they do, just tell them I had to go get something, okay?"

I didn't necessarily like the simplicity of the plan, but nodded anyway. There was no point in arguing with mason over this, since he seemed to have already made the decision. Who was I to stop the plan he thought was best?

"Okay," I agreed. "But does that mean that you don't want me to be there?"

"It's too much of a risk," Mason said, shaking his head. "You know what happened last time it was a full moon..."

I winced inwardly, remembering Nikolai's death. "I know," I said. "But if it gets too hard for you to do it alone..." I trailed off, not knowing where I was going with it.

He offered me a weak smile. "I'll see you at the ceremony," he said, pressing a light kiss to my forehead.

"See you later," I agreed with a nod. It all felt awfully platonic for some reason. He gave me one last smile before walking off, leaving me standing there, wondering why it felt as if everything would be going to hell later.

-Damonelle-

"Are you read?" I grinned at Jenna, who looked as if she was about to burst into tears. "No crying, you'll ruin the make-up!" I protested, grinning at her.

"I know, I know," Jenna grinned back. "I can't believe it; I'm getting married!"

"You're getting married," I nodded, embracing my friend. "Remember your cue?" I asked, winking at her once as Elena turned to walk out to the garden.

"Yes," she nodded. "I can't believe my day is finally here."

"You better believe it," I said, standing in the doorway. "Don't forget to say yes," I winked, just as I took the first step out of the room. As soon as I was out of the room, I saw Damon standing by the far wall. He was waiting for me, because _of course_ he was the best-man. A smile grossed his lips, instantly causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter to life. He walked over to me and offered me his hand, which I took, never taking my eyes off of his in the process.

As we walked to the garden, where the ceremony would be held, he didn't say a single word, but I could feel him glancing at me from time to time. I couldn't say I wasn't in awe when I finally stepped out into the garden with Damon. We really had outdone ourselves. The part which lead up to the altar, where the priest I had so nicely cursed at before was covered in light pink and purple flowers, which was a shocking contrast to the snow that surrounded the place. People were sitting in chairs on either side of the isle and they all turned to look at us as Damon and I started walking forward. Elena had already joined Alaric in the front. I glanced to the side, seeing the way the pillars had been decorated too, in the same flowers that were hanging down along with light purple ribbons. It was such a simple touch, but I knew it meant a lot to Jenna.

"You look really beautiful," Damon whispered beside me, squeezing my hand lightly. I almost stumbled on the carpet.

"Thanks," I bit out, a smile still on my face I tried to cover up the nervousness that had suddenly made it's way through.

"You're the _perfect_ maid of honor," he continued. "But are you really supposed to look better than the bride?" he grinned, causing me to look up at him in shock. He winked at me before looking ahead again. I turned my head and looked at Alaric again.

"Will you stop?" I mumbled. "People are staring at us."

"I think that's the point of walking down the isle together," he retorted, his tone just as low as mine.

"I don't think they are expecting us to talk."

"But it's nice, isn't it?"

I didn't reply. Suddenly the walk to the altar seemed too far. I looked to one of the benches in the front, where I saw Mason staring at the two of us. There was something in his eyes that almost made me feel guilty.

"You really do look beautiful," Damon concluded as we reached our destination. For a moment, the world froze as I turned to look at him. His eyes were filled with sadness, but at the same time, he was wearing a smile on his lips. I knew he was hurting, because so was I. I wanted nothing more than to throw my arms around him and kiss him with all my power. Instead, I stood frozen as he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to my temple, closing my eyes, savoring the moment. Then suddenly, I was standing next to Elena and he was next to Alaric, where he was supposed to be.

When the music changed, and Jenna began making her way down the isle, I hardly even noticed. My eyes were connected to Damon's during the whole ceremony and I was startled when Jenna gave me her bouquet of flowers to hold as she and Alaric exchanged their rings. In the end, I finally managed to take my eyes away from Damon as I watched Jenna officially become Mrs. Saltzman as they sealed it with a kiss. I looked down at the crowd, which was standing up and applauding, my eyes reaching Mason's. He offered me a small smile, but I could see that something was wrong. As Alaric and Jenna led the way inside again and I followed, Damon by my side, I wondered what could have happened in the short amount of time that we had been separated for Mason to look that way.

-Damonelle-

The reception was going well. I personally thanked Mrs. Lockwood for helping me pull it all together at the last minute, and honestly, I felt a little bad when she once again referred to me as Mason's girlfriend.

When it was time for Jenna and Alaric to share their first dance as husband and wife, Elena pulled me to the side quickly.

"You and Damon are going to have to go up and dance next to them," she informed me, which I can't say I was surprised by.

"Yeah, yeah," I sighed, not seeing any sense in wasting time protesting. I mean, I didn't want them to know that I had already considered pulling Damon with me and finding some dark and empty room to rip his clothes off in.

We watched Jenna and Alaric for a good minute before Damon stepped forward, taking my hand as he led me out on the dance floor, putting one of his hands on my waist and the other taking my other hand as we began swaying. My other hand was resting on his shoulder and for a brief second, everything felt normal again.

"So," he began casually, "what's your plan?" he wondered.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"To deal with William, obviously," he rolled his eyes. "Whatever it is, I'm in."

I almost sighed. "Damon..."

"No, really," he said, twirling me around once and pulling me close to him again. "Whatever it is, I really want in. I want to rid that freaky torturous bastard from your life so you can be happy." His choice of words to describe William actually made me laugh. I was touched, but I didn't want to put him in more danger than necessary.

Before I had a chance to tell him that, however, Mason walked up to us. "May I cut in?" he asked, looking at Damon, who _reluctantly_ nodded, letting go of me. I would lie if I said that I didn't miss him the second he walked away.

I looked at Mason expectantly, but he shook his head. "Care to take a walk with me?" he asked.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. "You're not starting to change, are you?"

"No, no," he laughed. "I just need to talk to you, and a room with way too many vampires isn't exactly the ideal place to do so," he told me, looking over at Damon, who was staring at us, frowning. As my eyes met with Damon's, he quickly turned around and I could swear that I had heard him mutter a curse.

"Okay," I agreed and we walked out to the garden again. We walked quietly next to each other for a good time before Mason spoke.

"I've decided to take a huge step in our relationship," he said, causing me to halt in my steps.

"I certainly hope you haven't been getting any ideas from Jenna and Alaric," I told him jokingly, but the panic inside of me was true.

"No," he laughed. "Definitively not."

"Should I be offended by that definite answer?" I asked and he chuckled.

"No," he said as we kept walking. "I've decided that I'm going to leave Mystic Falls after tonight." I stopped walking and turned to look at him.

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

He small smile made it's way onto his face. "I've realized that you don't feel the same way about me as I feel about you," he told me honestly. "And after what I saw today as you walked down the isle, it's pretty clear to me that you're still in love with Damon."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything at all, which meant that I also didn't deny it.

Mason took a step forward. "Is it okay if we stay in contact anyway? I would really hate for our friendship to be ruined," he told me and I nodded.

"Yes," I breathed out. Inside, I felt a little relief.

He took another step forward and softly pressed his lips against mine before pulling away again. It was a goodbye-kiss. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Danielle," he told me with a smile before turning around and walking off. He wasn't walking back to Founder's Hall. Instead, he walked toward the woods, most likely because he had chosen this moment to make his way to the old Lockwood ground to lock himself up for the night.

I couldn't deny it anymore. Making my way back to the reception, I only had one thought in my mind. I needed to find Damon and tell him that I had been wrong. He needed to know that Mason and I were officially over, even though we probably had never started because my feelings for the werewolf had never been that deep to begin with. Also, he needed to know that I regretted ever leaving him in the first place.

Looking through the crowd, however, I couldn't spot Damon anywhere. I looked and looked, and finally I got so frustrated that I began asking around, but no one had seen him for quite some time. I tried to listen with my vampire hearing in case I would find him, but still nothing. Where could he be...?

"Hey, Dani!" Jenna said, walking up to me with an envelope in her hands. "Why didn't you tell me you invited a friend of yours?" she asked, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"What friend?" I asked.

"The cute, yet slightly dangerous-looking one," she said. "With the dark hair and dark eyes? What was his name... Right: William!"

My mouth went dry. "What?" I choked out and Jenna looked at me, holding the envelope up.

"Yeah, he told me to give you this letter," she said. "He wants to see you." I could tell that Jenna had been compelled not to ask any questions. How the hell had he gotten her off of vervain? William must have been here for far longer than I had known.

"Jenna," I said, looking intently into her eyes. "Go back to Alaric and stay by his side," I compelled, watching her pupils dilate before going back to normal again.

"Okay," she said brightly, before turning to walk away. I watched her walk off and pretty much tore open the letter just as Stefan stepped forward.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "I overheard what Jenna said. William is here?"

My eyes scanned over the letter and I felt my heart race. "Damn it," I muttered, looking up at Stefan. "First of all, you need to get Jenna back on vervain," I told him, my voice shaking slightly.

Stefan put his hand on my shoulders. "What's wrong, Dani?" he asked and I swallowed.

"William wants me to meet him at the Grill," I informed him. "He's got Mason and Damon locked up as leverage somewhere."

Stefan's eyes widened. "But tonight..." he trailed off and I nodded.

"Yes," I said. "It's a full moon tonight, which means that if I don't get to Damon and Mason in time, there is a quite big chance that Mason will tear Damon to pieces once he turns."

Stefan closed his eyes, sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose, and I realized that I had been right earlier today.

Everything had officially gone to hell.

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_**A/N: So what did you think? Kinda suckish, I know, and I'm sorry about that.**_

_**The good thing though, is that the following chapter will finally have William in it! Believe me when I tell you that there will be A LOT of backstory there! Tell me in a review what things you'd like me to take up about Dani's past! I do know that I'll have her first meeting with William in there and some background on William's relationship with Dani's mother. Are there any other loose ends that you'de like me to tie up in there?**_

_**Thank you for reading and staying with me for so long! As mentioned, only two more chapters and an epilogue and then I can finally say that Dani's story is over! Bear with my friends!**_

_**Lots of love,**_

_**Spicy**_


	38. Memories

_**A/N: Urgh, I'm sorry okay? I'm so sorry that I haven't updated my TVD stories in such a long time and I know that it's been over a month since I updated Meant to Be... The thing is that I'm really pissed at the way JP is ruining both TVD and TO, and I feel like the show isn't at all what it used to be before and quite frankly, sometimes I'm just confused...? I guess that's why I sort of took a break from writing Tough Love (which only has one chapter and an epilogue left!) and Meant To Be (which I have plans to write up until the end of season 3, but with an alternative ending to it, so we won't get all that Silas crap and doppelgänger shizz... Sorry if anyone out there liked that!).**_

_**The thing is that right now, I have a lot of things on my plate with school and I've recently gotten into the Arrow Fandom as well, and I've been writing some fics for that too, which honestly, are much easier to write since every episode of Arrow just blows my head off! I've fallen behind on both TVD and TO because I just simply don't prioritize it anymore... But I promise that as soon as I finish this exam that's coming up on March 26th, I SWEAR I am going to rewatch season 2 of TVD and get inspiration to keep going on MTB!**_

_**Now, I hope you enjoy this chapter of TL for now and I hope you understand and aren't mad at me... *hugs***_

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**Chapter 38: Memories**

I walked toward the Grill determinedly.

It had taken a lot of arguing, but Stefan had finally agreed to step back and let me handle William alone. I promised him that I would get his brother back to him, alive and that I would be careful. He had agree to make up some excuse for me at the reception and I had immediately changed into a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt and my coat. My hair was hanging loosely around my shoulders and I had pulled on a pair of sneakers, because they would be more comfortable in case I needed to run.

Before stepping inside, I took a deep breath, wondering how this meeting would go. As I opened the door and stepped inside, the first thing I noticed was that the place was completely empty. There was no one there, not even the bartender.

I blinked once, and suddenly, in front of me he stood with a grin on his face. "Hello, Danielle," he said, his voice raspy, like it had been the last time I had seen him; the last time he had captured me. His looks, however, weren't as disheveled as they had been that time. He had cut his hair and his beard was evenly trimmed. He was wearing nicer clothes too. "How have you been?" he asked, almost politely, but I could see the amusement on his face.

"Fine," I replied, just as politely, but still with a little bit of edge. "Where is everyone?" I asked, motioning to the empty bar.

"I asked them to take a break, so that you and I could enjoy our date in private," was his response. Well, that explained his nice clothes.

He was one sick motherf-

"Care to join me at the table?" he asked, interrupting my thoughts. I looked where he was motioning, to a table with lit candles, a bottle of red wine and a plate of french fries.

"Classy," I muttered, walking past him to sit at the table. I knew there was no arguing if I wanted things to go smoothly. He sat down in front of me and I crossed my arms, glaring at him.

"Aren't you going to ask how I've been?" he asked, amusement clear in his tone.

"I'm sorry," I said sarcastically. "How rude of me not to ask the man that has been tormenting me for over two centuries how he's been doing!"

"_Uspokoysia_,_ Daniella_," he said, telling me to calm down in Russian, using his other name for me.

"_Pochemu__?_" I snapped, asking him why. "It's not as if I don't know how you've been. You've been looking for me ever since you let me go the last time," I said, watching hims smirk.

"So you figured it out," he acknowledged, confirming what Damon had suspected. He _had_ let me escape.

"Why would you do it?" I asked, watching him take a french fry and pop it into his mouth, reaching for the wine.

"I suppose I've enjoyed chasing you around for too long," he shrugged, opening the bottle and pouring it into the glasses. "Old habits die hard," he grinned, offering me a glass.

I took it from him and took a sip of the wine. "In other words, you did it for your own entertainment," I stated, causing his grin to only widen.

"I suppose so," he replied.

A few heartbeats passed and I put the glass down on the table in front of me. "Where are they, William?" I asked, not wanting to beat around the bush anymore.

"All in due time, my love," he smiled, almost reminding me of the William I had once thought I had known. As if reading my mind, he continued, popping another french fry in his mouth, "Do you remember the first time we met? At the fair?"

"How could I not?" I sighed, already frustrated. Was he really going to pretend that this was a date. A smirk appeared on his face and once again, I was sure he could read my mind. "It was the day I met the person that ruined my life. Hard to forget."

_Flashback_

_I walked through the throngs of people. There was a fair in town. Merchants from all over the world had made their way here to sell and show the things they had obtained all over the world on their voyages. I was looking for a certain stand that I had visited last year; the one with the rare books. When I found it, I was surprised to see that the older man that had been taking care of it last time wasn't there. Instead, there was a younger man, a couple of years older than me sorting the books on the shelves._

"_Hello," I said as I stepped forward. The man turned around and I hated myself for inhaling so sharply._

"_Why hello," the man said, looking at me from top to toe. "What brings such a pretty lady like you to a fair like this?"_

"_A lady?" I snorted, rolling my eyes. "The fair is a place for _everyone_ to visit. Why shouldn't I do so too? I visit this fair every year with my family," I told him, as-a-matter-of-factly._

"_In that case, what can I help you with, lady...?"_

"_Brown," I finished for him. "And I was wondering if you might have an old Shakespeare play laying around? Last year the old man who worked in this stand told me he would try to obtain it for me. Where is he at?"_

_The man's eyes twinkled with mischief suddenly. "My, my, aren't you a curious one, Miss Brown," he said thoughtfully. "I'm afraid the man you are referring to passed away on our way here. He has been ill for quite some time and asked me, his nephew to help him with the stand this year. Unfortunately, he never made it to town," the man explained._

"_I'm sorry for your loss," I said, genuinely sorry for the older man. I remembered him from when I was just a little girl running around, playing on the streets. He had given me my very own first book as a gift and told me if I learned to read until next time he came to town, he would give me another one. It had been a regular thing then. Every year, I would search for him, and every year, I would tell him about all the books I had read and he would give me another one as a gift. I would like to say that we were friends, but never had he mentioned anything about having a family of his own, much less a nephew._

_The man didn't say anything as I offered him my condolences. Instead, he turned around and reached for a book. "Is this the book my uncle promised you?" he asked, offering me the worn out looking book. It was bound in brown leather and I opened it to see yellowed pages. The text, however, was clear as day and I could read the name of the author: W. Shakespeare._

"_Yes, it is," I said, trailing my fingers across the name, mesmerized._

"_In that case you can take it," the man said._

_I raised my head to meet his eyes again. "Thank you-" I began, but stopped abruptly. I didn't know his name yet._

"_William," he introduced himself, and for a moment I thought he was trying to be funny._

_I was about to introduce myself, but suddenly someone grabbed my arm. "Danielle, Danielle!" my sister jumped, sounding excited about something. "Father just promised that he would take us with him to Jamestown next time he visits aunt Emma!" she exclaimed, her dark eyes sparkling with happiness. As she jumped, her loose blonde curls bounced, making her look a lot younger than she was._

"_I'm glad, Rebecca," I smiled at her, turning back to William, who was looking at us curiously. Then I turned to look at Rebecca, who had abruptly stopped jumping. She was staring at William, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. By the way her eyes widened, I could tell that she was already dazzled by his good looks. Turning to look at William again, I noticed an amused look on his lips, which caused an uneasiness to build inside my stomach._

_End of Flashback_

"Ah, Rebecca," William said, thinking back. Anger boiled inside of me as I heard him speak her name. "She was very pretty. Not as bright as you though, so she got herself in trouble much quicker," he reminisced.

"She got involved with you, if that's what you mean," I said darkly. "She fell in love with you."

"I know," William said, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind.

"And then you killed her. In cold blood," I continued. "Betrayed and murdered her. Torturing and tearing her to pieces until she bled out and was barely recognizable so that they would blame it on an animal."

"Yes," William agreed after a processing my words for just a moment.

"And yet you expected me to marry you," I said. "To run away with you, allow you to turn me so that we could spend the rest of eternity together. Why? To spite my mother? Because she refused your love when she was younger?"

"Your mother _ran_ from me, Danielle," William snarled. "Just like you did after you found out what I had done to Rebecca. If I remember correctly, you loved me even after I turned you, until you found out what I had done to your sister."

"My mother probably had a good reason to run, just as I had one too," I told him calmly. I didn't want him to lose his temper now. He could go on a killing spree just for the heck of it; he had done it before.

William eyed me for a good moment before smirking. "I never told you the whole story, did I?" he asked, taking a sip from his wine glass.

"I don't feel like hearing about something that happened over two and a half centuries ago," I told him, mirroring him by taking my own glass.

"Although your natural curiosity for things, which I suppose comes from your little witch-gene, is in need to know, isn't it?" he asked, taking a french fry from the plate. "I'll tell you anyway," he said, taking it into his mouth and chewing on it thoughtfully for a while.

"Go right ahead," I shrugged. "It's not like I can go anywhere anyway."

He smirked, before opening his mouth to speak. "I met your mother before she moved to that little town you grew up to call home," William began. "She was a beauty, really. I fell for her the moment I first talked to her and I'd like to think that she enjoyed my company as well. The only problem, of course, was the fact that I had been turned into a vampire just a few years prior, which meant that I still hadn't gotten very good at hiding it." I continued to watch him impassively. "Your mother found out that I was a vampire, and she refused to see me anymore. She was a witch, as you now know, but she wanted a normal life and refused to be dragged into vampire business. Instead, she picked up her things and left."

"Well, I know for sure that you didn't like that very much," I said smugly, taking another sip from the wine.

"I retaliated by killing her entire family," William said, deadpanned, "and then started tracking her. It took me a while, since I still hadn't learned everything about my abilities. When I found her, I was angry to see that she had already moved on." He finished his drink and reached for the bottle again. I half-expected him to take a swig directly from the bottle, but he proved me wrong by trying to act like the gentleman he wasn't. After refilling his glass and offering me a refill, which I turned down, he continued his story. "Your mother hurt me, caused me to go down a darker path that I had never intended to take when I first turned. I had already killed her family, but of course, she was oblivious to this, so I tried to come up with ways to hurt her like she had hurt me when she left me," William explained.

"Are you aware of how crazy you sound?" I inquired, causing him to smirk.

"I suppose I was when I was a human too," he shrugged. "Which is probably what got the vampire that turned me so interested in me in the first place. That, however, isn't the story I was telling," he said. "I figured I should wait a couple of years. Let your mother think that she was free of me and that I would never find her. I knew she had cut all ties to her family, because of that normal life I mentioned earlier, so I knew she wouldn't know what I had done to them, which gave me more time. I stayed close to town, watched her for years as she grew older and built her own family with that good-for-nothing husband of hers," William spit, sounding disgusted. "And then, my plan formed. I would take away her daughters from her when they were old enough to be seduced by me. Then, of course, I would kill them before her eyes," William said somberly. "It all worked perfectly," he told me, "until I fell in love with you."

I looked down, not wanting to meet the gaze he had set on me. I couldn't deny that I had once been infatuated with William, but now that I had gotten to know Damon, I knew that infatuation was all it had been. Perhaps it had been the fact that I wanted to one-up my perfect sister for once, but it had all gone to hell, because I hadn't wanted to lose her.

"You were everything I ever wanted," William said, "you _still _are."

"William," I said, finally looking up at him. "I'm done with listening to your stories. Take me to Damon and Mason."

He watched me for another moment. "Are you not going to say anything else?" he asked, but I shook my head.

"Nothing you said here tonight changes what has happened the last two centuries and a half," I told him quietly. "It doesn't change the fact that Rebecca is dead and that you killed my mother's family and certainly not that you've spent all this time to hunt, torture me and kill all my friends."

His lips set into a tight line. "I'll take you to them," he finally agreed, downing the rest of his drink as he stood from the table. He popped one last french fry in his mouth and motioned for me to follow him.

"No car?" I asked as he began walking down the street.

"Never liked them very much," he said, "but it's parked by the house I rented for this visit." His tone suggested that everything about his 'visit' was normal, but I didn't say anything as I followed him.

We walked out to the woods and it didn't take long until a horrible feeling settled in my gut. Was this all a trick? Had he already killed Mason and Damon and was now taking me to see their bodies before killing me too?

"I'm not trying to trick you, Dani," he chuckled, as if he had read my mind. "You've gone all rigid and uncomfortable which usually means that you're suspecting foul play."

"I'm always uncomfortable with you," I muttered, earning a low chuckle from him. However, he didn't speak anymore, only led me through the woods, which I now realized I recognized.

The old Lockwood grounds.

William opened the metal door that closed the dungeon that Mason had once used to lock himself into and motioned for me to step inside. My heart beat quickened rapidly as I stepped inside. It took me a second to adjust my eyes to the lack of light, but once I could see clearly, I saw Damon hanging shackled to the wall, unconscious. Mason was on the ground, chained with the same chains he had used when he turned last time, unconscious as well.

"Damon," I breathed out, relief flooding me when I realized he was still breathing. I moved forward to run to him, but felt something hard collide with the back of my head, just a second before it all turned black.

* * *

**A/N: This story is coming to an end! One more chapter and an epilogue, but first I need to study! :)**

**Reviews are golden and please, please, please, DO share your thoughts! That way updates come quicker... ;)**


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